The Clownfish
by Neko-sama no Kokoro
Summary: Based on Disney's The Little Mermaid. Alternate Universe. A young merprince decides to venture away from his home one day and finds himself tempted by the world of land. AllenxLenalee
1. Prologue

The Clownfish

Disclaimer: Lenalee is awesome, but I don't own her, or the rest of the DGM cast.

This _is _a version of The Little Mermaid (the Disney version – there will be a happy ending). Enjoy.

* * *

Prologue: Lenalee's Getting Married?!

It is a well-known fact that fairy-tale princesses are _never_ allowed to remain single.

This was something that Lenalee Lee, sister to and only living relative of the land's king Komui Lee, was about to learn, to her brother's distress. Despite a relative lack of available princes, many having gone and killed themselves on some adventure in recent years, Lenalee – as there was no other heir to the kingdom, and the unmarried Komui was unlikely to provide one any time soon – would certainly be required to continue the family line. To do so, she would need a prince.

Fortunately for Lenalee, Komui would rather have the family die with her than give his sister to some stranger in a faraway land, the siblings never to see each other again. The royal advisors therefore found themselves with an incredibly difficult task: find a prince who would not inherit his throne and therefore be willing to marry _into_ the Lee family. These being rare, the young Lenalee spent her days mostly free of romantic worries.

And so our story begins, one pleasant April morning in the late Victorian era… the cries of the head advisor and chief scientist echoing through the castle halls as they did nearly every day.

"Your Majesty! Your Ma- you, have _you_ seen his Majesty? No? Then go look for him- Hey, where… Princess Lenalee!"

Lenalee promptly looked up from her mildly interesting book to see a tall, unshaven man standing in front of her and scratching his head in a puzzled manner. "Section Chief Reever? Are you looking for my brother again?"

"Well…" Reever gave a long sigh. "You know how he is, Princess…"

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen him this morning- ah," she added, seeing Reever's disappointed look, "you could always try the kitchens, though. He hides there sometimes."

The scientist's face brightened. "As always, you're certainly right, Princess. My utmost gratitude." He bowed quickly and turned away, having already set his mind completely on reaching the kitchens. Lenalee's mouth twitched into an amused smile.

"Brother is always like that," she murmured softly. "Never wanting to do his job…"

_But I know he'd do anything to protect me. _

It wasn't until another distraction in the form of a red-haired teenager arrived that Lenalee realized she was already halfway to the kitchens herself, book still in hand, and anxious to see her older brother. Indeed, Lavi's appearance startled her to the point where he was forced to make hurried apologies just in case Lenalee's mood had been disrupted and his head became a target for that book…

"No, no," she reassured him, "it isn't your fault. I was just… thinking."

"About me?" Lavi removed his hands from his head and grinned slyly, though he quickly sobered at Lenalee's answering slap. "It was a joke, a joke… but a girl of your age, you've got to be thinking of romance, right, Lenalee?"

"Huh?" Lenalee blinked. "What do you-"

"You _weren't_?"

"I was on my way to the kitchens to see my brother," she told a puzzled Lavi, continuing on her way to the aforementioned destination as her friend followed her. "That isn't normal?"

"Most girls don't have such a brother complex… well, most brothers don't have a sister complex like Komui, either!" Lavi gave another cheerful grin, slightly relieved at a lack of reaction from Lenalee. "But about romance-"

"Lavi, I don't _want_ to get married…"

"But you know it's gonna happen…"

"In a decade or so…"

Lavi feigned hurt. "And after I found you the perfect man and everything!"

"What?" Lenalee stopped abruptly and Lavi spun around a moment later. "But I'm only sixteen!"

"Sixteen-year-old girls are always thinking about romance and marriage! Everyone's anxious to find themselves a perfect, handsome, rich older man to marry and live out their lives in happiness…" Lavi batted his one uncovered eye in a mocking imitation of these young ladies. "And you just want to stay with your brother for the rest of your life!"

"Well…" A pink flush spread across Lenalee's cheeks. "I don't expect to stay single _forever_, but-"

"Okay! Then I have information on three wonderful potential fiancés for you." Lavi cleared his throat and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket (for dramatic effect; it was actually a grocery list). "What about this guy – nice young man, nearby kingdom… kinda shy… not very rich, but he isn't the heir, and he seems very dedicated to what he does-"

"The one like Section Chief Reever?" Lenalee interrupted.

"Wha- oh, right, you've met him already." Lavi scowled momentarily. "Next one! Oooh, this one's quite a catch… he's the only heir, but I'm sure he'd stay with you; he's that kind of obsessi- I mean, _dedicated_ man… terribly handsome… comes from a long line of powerful rulers… a bit eccentric, can have a quick temper but be serious when required… looks very young, about the same age as your brother…"

"He sounds like my brother. Lavi, we aren't like _that_!"

"Oh, you aren't? Well then – there go my fanfics- ah, Lenalee, I wasn't serious!" Dodging a flying chair, Lavi continued 'reading'. "And the final prince. He's about my age – doesn't seem like the nicest guy ever, but everyone likes _you_, Lenalee, so that shouldn't be a problem… Not what I'd call handsome, though. Not ugly, but I think Komui might have to lock up his beauty products every night. Strong, though. If you marry _him_, you'd have plenty of control over national affairs- Lenalee?"

"He sounds…" Lenalee paused to think of a criticism. "All right," she conceded. "At least he isn't a playboy like _you_, or all the other young, beautiful and stupid men out there…"

"We're not all that bad, Lena- hey, I'm not stupid!"

He really wasn't, Lenalee had to admit. Very few highly ranked people who lived in the palace were even of average intelligence, and as a historian of the kingdom, Lavi was not one of them. He was, however, fun to tease…

"Actually, isn't he your childhood friend? That last prince, I mean."

"Hm?" Now that he mentioned it… "You were talking about Kanda-kun?" Lenalee inquired. "I haven't seen him in years..."

"Consider him, at least, before some other prince snaps him up…"

"Lavi…"

"Right, right. _Princess_."

"It's just that…" Lenalee sighed and turned to look out a nearby window – staring at castle walls while deep in thought was simply _boring_. "Lavi, I don't really want to marry anyone unless I'm in love with him. I know that may not necessarily be the most realistic option, but…"

"Anyone should be able to marry for love," Lavi said quietly. Hearing that, Lenalee smiled.

"I think so, too. And right now, I just haven't found anyone that makes me feel that way. You understand, right?"

"Yeah." Facing away from him, Lenalee failed to see the sadness in her friend's eyes as he spoke. "Then I hope you find the right person someday, Lenalee. You should be happy."

A long and peaceful silence followed. Lenalee continued to look out the window – it opened onto the nearby capital city, its millions of people awake and active at this hour, and eventually culminating in the distant harbour with its hundreds of ships – while Lavi just watched his princess without saying a word. Finally, Lenalee spoke again.

"I wonder which one of those boats it'll be…"

"Huh?" Lavi blinked, startled out of his thoughts. "What?"

"That I'll be going on. I thought everyone knew?" She turned around to give him a quizzical look. "Anita is taking me to meet her fiancé tomorrow. He lives on a nearby island, although it'll take nearly half the day to get there… He sounds…" Lenalee chewed on her lip, trying to think of the right word. "Nice. Nice enough, anyway."

"Oh, really? Now that you mention it… Anita, she's that old friend with that transsexual bodyguard, right?"

"_Mahoja_. But yes, that friend."

"She's getting married, huh… Such a beautiful woman…"

"Yes, _married_, Lavi! So don't think of her like that!"

"I know, I know!" Lavi suddenly became serious, dispelling the momentarily playful mood. "Be careful, okay, Lenalee? The sea can be unpredictable, and while the weather seems nice now…"

"I will be." Lenalee beamed at him. "Thanks for worrying, though."

And with that, she strolled off to find her brother, unaware of Lavi's last comment muttered under his breath: "I always do."

Unbeknownst to Lavi, Lenalee's love would come sooner than she expected…

Thus begins _his_ story.

* * *

Lavi's love is incredibly one-sided. Allen/Lenalee romance shows up next chapter with the appearance of – duh – Allen.

I think he'd make an awfully cute merman. :)

(By the way, Lavi's potential candidates were Rikei, Bak, and Kanda. If you don't know who Rikei is, he obviously isn't important enough for you to care. Heh…)


	2. Chapter 1

The Clownfish

Disclaimer: Hoshino has a cat and I don't. Therefore, it's natural that she owns D.Gray-Man.

Okay, so I really don't like this chapter. It was a pain to write, and it feels rushed, but I can't fix any more of it. Hopefully, the next one will go better. As a note, Lero wasn't going to be in the chapter originally (I didn't want to make it too much like the Disney version), but he was just too perfect, and…

Oh, comment on a review: Bak was the one who was like Komui, not Rikei.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Seaweed is Always Greener…

For centuries or more, humanity has dreamed of mythical creatures. From vampires to werewolves, from harpies to centaurs, their collective imagination has spawned numerous tales of strange human-animal mixes that could inspire dreams – or nightmares – in the minds of many. Among these fantastical beings are mermaids.

Except those were actually real.

Far, far below the surface of the ocean, in areas untouched by humans, they lived. They built villages that sometimes expanded into towns, and those towns occasionally became cities guarded by strong walls and ruled over by magnificent castles. Outside the city's borders, farmers grew their sea crops and raised creatures that they would sell in the towns, or cities. The food would eventually make its way to the aristocracy, including the royal families themselves. In short, it was an accurate reflection of _human_ life at the time (although this was mostly coincidental; the merpeople had no extended communication with humans besides saving the occasional sailor from drowning). And, as on land, the status hierarchy ruled nearly all social interactions.

Humans were the sole exception. It was an unwritten law that one _never_ spoke to humans, if only because they were considered to be disrespectful and nosy foreigners who understood nothing of the mermaid ways of life. This view was, in reality, far from the truth, but few sought to prove otherwise. Still, the merpeople's distance from humans meant that the latter species was mostly absent from their everyday thoughts… and, therefore, seeing one – let alone interacting with one – was rare.

Which makes Allen Walker a very special person indeed…

It was a calm April morning and although it was still quite early in the day, Allen was awoken – as he was everyday – by the growls of his stomach.

"Urghhhhh…"

A few moments later, the soft thud of his pillow making contact with the floor – its fall eased by the surrounding water – could be heard. Immediately after, the bed where the pillow had come from was vacated as its owner sleepily swam off in search of food, leaving the pillow where it lay.

Fortunately, Allen's room was – not coincidentally – right next to the kitchens. It was there, eating what would have fed a moderately sized village for a day, that he was discovered.

"Allen."

And the air was promptly knocked out of the poor boy by the force of the speaker's hug.

"W-what… Road, can you please let go of me…"

Road pouted playfully. "But Allen is so nice to hug! Aww, you're no fun." She released him, floating away so that Allen could turn to face her.

"It's still early!" Allen complained.

"You've already eaten breakfast…"

"Eh- that's- breakfast is the most important part of the morning," Allen said defensively. By now, he was reasonably awake, grey eyes focused on the intrusion and lips twitched slightly into a frown. "Did you just come here to tease me?"

"Well…" The ever-playful girl twirled lightly in the water, the edge of her short white dress dragging slightly. She absentmindedly twirled a few strands of dark hair with one hand. "As fun as it is to see sleepy Allen become annoyed…"

And she was right, of course. With his white hair still uncombed and drifting around his head (it almost looked like an aura, of sorts), yet frowning sullenly at her, Allen was an amusing sight indeed. The scar that ran down the left side of his face only made him look – dare she say this of her precious older brother? – even more _cute_. At that thought, Road couldn't help but giggle, which made Allen's expression darken even more. (It did nothing to change her current opinion of his appearance.)

"…anyway, I really do have another reason for finding you," she told Allen once the giggles had subsided. "The Count wants to see you."

"The Earl?" Allen asked, puzzled. "What would he want at this time…"

"Dunno. Why don't you go change-" she gestured to his black pajama shirt- "and ask him yourself?"

Allen sighed. Obviously Road had no idea or else she wouldn't hesitate to inform him. "Thanks," he muttered, shoving one last bite of rice into his mouth before swimming off. "I suppose I'll do that."

As he left, Road smiled softly and floated down to the table where Allen had been eating. "I have such an adorable older brother," she murmured happily, watching the way he had departed. "If only he was more affectionate…

"And didn't leave the dishes for me to clean up…"

* * *

The castle where Allen lived with his (rather large) family was spacious, and it took him nearly ten minutes to reach the informal throne room from his bedroom. Despite being informal, where the Earl of the Millennium – not technically a merperson, having the lower half of an octopus rather than a dolphin like everyone else in the city – entertained his family and advisors rather than the citizens he ruled over, it was still a splendid room. Little else in the castle compared to it. High stone walls engraved with everything from faces to battle scenes supported a domed ceiling with a glimmering chandelier hanging from the middle. The walls themselves were carved into archways, and it was through one of these that Allen entered the room. At the very front sat the Earl himself.

"Allen Walker," he murmured happily when the white-haired boy drifted into view. "Road passed along the message."

"That is correct, Millennium Count." Allen made an attempt to bow, complicated by the nearly horizontal angle he was floating at. "I understand you summoned me?"

"Yes, well." The Earl grinned, not a pleasant sight. "Your fifteenth birthday was last winter, was it not?"

"It was…" Allen answered, bemused.

"What a fun party we had!"

"I-indeed…"

"As it turns out, there is…something… I neglected to tell you at that time. You'll forgive me, won't you, Allen Walker?"

"Something? I- I mean, yes, certainly, I'm not upset, but…" Allen hesitated for a moment. "About what?"

The grin widened. "About _up there._"

"Up…" No, he couldn't mean…

"All members of the royal family are permitted to visit the surface once they reach the age of fifteen. Now that the ice on the surface has broken, feel free to have a look."

"The surface?" Allen repeated half-heartedly, somewhat stunned at the news. "But aren't humans supposed to be…"

"Who said anything about humans?"

"Earl-tama!" Allen looked over to the source of the voice; it was coming from the Earl's pumpkin-headed golem. Lero wasn't exactly the silent type, so Allen had assumed that its lack of interjections so far had meant that the golem was absent (possibly with Road). "Earl-tama, are you sure this is a wise decision lero?"

"Hmmm? Do explain," the Earl purred.

"Lero…" It quivered nervously; despite being talkative, Lero lacked any form of courage. "L-Lero has heard others say that Allen-tama is still too young lero…"

"But he's fifteen now. That's the rule." The Earl was not angry – he never was. The playful tone that he spoke in almost made Allen shiver despite the lukewarm water temperature.

"H-humans are… humans are _scary_ lero! They are _evil_ lero!" the golem squeaked.

"If my precious companion says so."

"I have Timcanpy," Allen said quickly. It wasn't that he had any interest in going to the surface himself, but if he was forbidden from doing such a thing when the rest of the Clan of Noah – except for Road, of course – was able to… "He can help me if anything goes wrong."

"Leroro…"

"What a marvelous idea." The Earl clapped his hands together and a few of his tentacles swished ominously. "Lero, why don't you supervise the dear boy on his first few excursions to the surface? That way, everyone is happy."

"E-Earl-tama… Lero is… Lero is…"

As much as Allen didn't particularly enjoy the thought of having the umbrella-shaped cloud of misery follow him everywhere, it was preferable to not having permission to leave the ocean. Besides, Lero was generally nice and peaceful… Smiling, he bowed to the Earl. "I thank you for your permission, Millennium Count. May I depart now?"

"Of course, of course. Tell dear Road not to play with Lero for the time being, all right."

Allen agreed, and, now completely awake and in a very good mood, departed the room and made his way to the castle exit, all the time followed by the sullen umbrella as it muttered self-pitying phrases to itself.

* * *

The light of the early morning's sun had filtered through the water to the city surrounding the castle, and it reflected a beautiful sight indeed. Magnificent buildings of carved white stone towered above the streets below, which were, on numerous levels, full of merpeople. Occasionally, one clung to a fish or ray as it glided effortlessly through the people; these were the wealthy, who could afford to have and maintain such a pet. Travel was not so easy for the masses, who were forced to endure crowded streets on their way to work, or shopping, and then back home. Although Allen would certainly have access to another method of travel, he preferred his own tail. Besides, he knew of less-travelled paths to leave the city walls.

Outside, the scenery changed. This close to the city, buildings were not uncommon – a city could only expand so high, after all – but the seabed itself became uneven. Any mermaid creation Allen saw was often perched precariously on the top of a small hill, or in between them, although never very far from another one. Allen swam around them, following a winding path around to the city's east side – the castle had been closest to the northernmost gate – for a few minutes until he reached a high cliff. The buildings stopped here, some even built against the stone itself for support. The city walls could still be seen even from here. Between two of these structures stood something of a park, with a few impressively coloured coral heads growing in between treelike plants. At the base of the stone cliff in this area was a small hole.

As Allen approached the opening, a small golden shape appeared inside, and zoomed towards the young merman. Allen had just noticed its existence when the shape smacked into his head, knocking him backwards and flipping him over.

"Ow…" Allen rubbed his head lightly where the ball had hit him. "What was that for, Timcanpy…"

The golem appeared to shrug and settled itself on Allen's head.

"Ah, which reminds me – you didn't find anything new, did you?" The golem shook from side to side – evidently a 'no'. "You didn't? We'll just have to search later, then, won't we." Allen smiled, which evoked no response from Timcanpy… he assumed it meant the golem was satisfied. Shrugging, he glanced back over his shoulder briefly – had he lost Lero? It wasn't that he minded the golem most of the time, but he needed to do this _now_, when he still had some room to be independent- and swam over to the hole and down into the cavern in the cliff.

Unbeknownst to Allen, Lero was not _that_ far away.

Umbrellas were, for obvious reasons, not designed to function correctly underwater. It is therefore a mystery as to why Lero had such a shape. Even completely folded up, its movements were greatly slowed by the water, and even with a spike on its head Lero could not push forward as easily as the dolphin-tailed Allen. By the time Lero reached the cliff, Allen was nowhere to be found – although the golem was fortunate enough to have seen a flash of silver disappear where the rock met the sandy ocean floor. Lero was also small enough to recognize the (apparently large) hole. It promptly entered…

…and emerged into a sunlit cavern that loomed many stories above the trio at the bottom.

Such a cavern rivaled even the tallest building in the largest city for height, and, unlike the city structure, was not divided into offices or apartments. The water – with, most likely, help from merpeople – had worn away horizontal rings to leave behind deep shelves in the rock. On these shelves were perched numerous objects of various shapes, sizes, and purposes… with one thing in common.

"Allen-tama!" Lero squawked. It spun rapidly towards the young prince, who had looked up at the sound. "What is- what is-"

"Oh, it's Lero…" Allen gave a forced grin. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here! Isn't it, Timcanpy…" The golden golem bobbed in place. "Lero, when the Earl gave you instructions to supervise me, are you sure he didn't mean…"

"From the moment Earl-tama gave Lero the order, Lero will obey!" The pumpkin-head surveyed the enormous cavern, eyes widening every time they fell on an object. "Allen-tama, what are all these HUMAN objects lero!?"

"Ah… these are… Well, you see…" Allen floated upwards towards a nearby shelf, tail swishing lightly in the water. "I don't suppose you'd believe that everything simply managed to… fall down here by itself? Or that other merpeople placed them here?"

"Certainly not, Allen-tama! Lero is not so gullible!"

"T-then…" Allen smiled nervously. "What do you think, Lero?"

"This is DANGEROUS lero!" If Lero had any appendages, they would have been smacking the sand of the ocean floor. "Allen-tama, the important prince of the kingdom, is playing with HUMAN ITEMS lero! Humans are DANGEROUS lero! They KILL merpeople lero!" It zoomed past an irritated Timcanpy to smack Allen on the head (lightly). The boy rubbed the spot of impact, wincing. "And yet, despite Lero's warnings lero, Allen-tama is… Allen-tama is… THINKING HUMANS ARE… ARE… FINE LERO!" The golem promptly burst into tears.

"L-lero…" Allen patted it awkwardly; it _was_ an umbrella, after all. "What's wrong with collecting things like this? I-it doesn't mean my opinions on humans have changed," _not that I ever disliked them in the first place_, he added silently, "but some of the things they've produced are…" He reached out and touched a smooth, dark box with a shiny golden horn protruding from it. "For example, this is supposed to emit music."

"AND HOW DOES ALLEN-TAMA KNOW THAT, LERO?"

Allen gave it a blank stare. "It says so." He lifted the gramophone up and pointed to a label on the bottom. "I don't know how it works, but… even then… And that isn't even the only thing they've made! There are pens made with _ink_ – not that it could work underwater, but… and new ways to fasten clothing, and…" Allen gave an affectionate glance to a large wooden structure in the corner of the cavern, resting on the sandy floor under a shelf. "That piano…"

Lero spluttered indignantly. "They're still human-made lero!"

"They're not dangerous!" Or at least, the ones he'd mentioned weren't. Allen had conveniently left out such items as guns and explosives, which were carefully tucked away on the highest shelves (to minimize damage in case of an accident). Besides, there were equally dangerous weapons under the sea too, right?

"Lero will not tolerate this! In fact, Lero is going to see the Earl-tama right _now_ to tell him that-"

The cavern went momentarily black. When the shadow had passed, Allen's eyes immediately went to the opening that led to the surface. "What was that?"

It took a second for a realization to come to Lero. "Allen-tama… you're not planning to…"

"I want to see…" Allen said faintly. He'd never had such an experience before. It was as if he'd been shut inside the city for his fifteen years of life and had learned only now that a world existed outside those walls. "Something is there…"

With a flash of silver, he swam past Lero and up towards the surface.

Lero merely floated there, stunned, until a speck of gold darted past it, intending to follow its master. "W…Wait, Allen-tama!" And, as fast as it could, it swam after the merboy until Allen was in hearing range. "Allen-tama, that could be humans lero!"

"I wonder…" Allen's tail flicked and he moved ahead of the umbrella. With another burst of energy, Lero managed to swim parallel to Allen's ear.

"Humans are _dangerous_ lero! Allen-tama shouldn't be approaching them lero!"

"The Earl said I was old enough, didn't he?" Allen told Lero, slightly irritated. "I can go to the surface any time I want."

"But _humans-_"

Allen gave Lero an annoyed glance and pulled ahead just as the golem's energy ran out and it was forced to stop in mid-water. Ignoring Lero's cries of warning, Allen continued swimming up and up until his head broke the surface of the water.

It was an interesting feeling, he thought, feeling the cold streams running through his hair and down his face, plastering white strands to pale skin. For the first time in his life, he was actually _breathing_! While mermaids had lungs – all animals did – they relied on their gills to breathe underwater. Grinning, Allen took a huge gulp of air, and nearly choked as the coolness rushed down his throat.

"Amazing…" he murmured.

Then he saw the ship.

Ships were possibly the most familiar part of human culture to the merpeople, yet it was rare to see them in one piece, let alone in their prime and full of humans themselves. From such a distance, Allen could only make out their faint figures, but with only a few minutes of swimming, he found himself next to the wooden structure. Voices drifted down from the deck.

"…almost… ten more minutes…"

"…curious… fiancé, after all…"

"…handsome man… I'm sure you'll like him, Princess."

Princess? She certainly wasn't the only one who was curious. Allen hopped out of the water briefly, attempting to grab the ledge created by the set-back porthole… and missed, plunging back into the roaring waters. After a few more tries, complicated by the choppiness of the ocean (thanks to the ship, Allen noticed), he finally caught it, and, before his damp fingers slipped, reached a hanging rope. From here, it took all his strength to slowly reach forward, one hand at a time, to pull himself away from the portholes and close enough to see the humans. By now, the new sensations had been completely forgotten, pushed out of his mind by their relative familiarity and the presence of something equally unknown.

Allen braced himself mentally, preparing for the shock of seeing such a strange and unusual race, opened his eyes to look right at the humans – and froze.

There was a _very_ cute girl, and she was smiling-

Wait, no, that wasn't strange at all. Aside from being unusually good-looking, the girl wouldn't have been out of place on the city streets at all. Even her short hair wouldn't have attracted attention. _Is that a human?_ Allen thought. _They're hardly different from_-

Ah. The _legs_. Every merperson knew of their existence, yet none had ever seen a real pair before. While the girl's – he assumed she had them, anyway – were covered by her dress, as were those of the woman she was speaking with, the (male) crew members wore loose pants that exposed their general shape. Although Allen had only ever seen a human torso attached to the lower half of a sea creature, he was surprised only at his _lack_ of shock at the humans. Despite being unfamiliar, they didn't seem unnatural at all…

Allen watched the scene for a few minutes like that, hands tightly gripping the rope as his body occasionally smacked the side of the boat, Timcanpy settled comfortably on his had, and thought about his current position. When he awoke that morning, would he ever have expected to leave the water, much less see humans mere hours later? Everything about the scene was unfamiliar, if not to the extent that it was fascinating, and Allen found he was anxious to return to the city and tell the other Noah what he had seen. Had Tiki ever seen a human? Or Lulubell? They'd never be able to look down on him again-

"ALLEN-TAMA!!"

…and Allen's thoughts were interrupted as the umbrella came zooming out of the ocean and straight towards him. Panicking, Allen reached out and grabbed the pumpkin head the moment Lero was in reach, covering its mouth. His remaining hand, however, could not support his body weight anymore; the boy and the golem plunged back into the water as Timcanpy, unsettled, hovered above.

"Allen-tama!" Lero wasted no time. "Allen-tama, you're safe lero!"

"Y-yeah…" Allen looked over his shoulder at where the ship had been; to his regret, it had moved past him in the time it had taken for the pair to fall. "It's gone…," he murmured distractedly.

"But Allen-tama, you should be more careful lero! There were humans on that boat, weren't there leroro? If they had seen Allen-tama-"

"They didn't, Lero." Allen breathed a long sigh and fell backwards, his human half now floating on the surface of the water as he stared at the sky. "Huh… It's pretty, isn't it."

"Lero?"

"The sky… It isn't blurry, either. I always thought… but that was the water, wasn't it."

Lero just glared at him and made a sound of disapproval.

"It's so blue," Allen said softly, now completely ignoring Lero. He started to smile, only to find himself with a face full of golden golem tail. "Ack- Timcanpy!"

The golden golem fluttered around, agitated, tail occasionally smacking Allen in the head.

"Tim?" The merboy sat(?) up, submerging most of his body. "Is something wrong?"

Timcanpy pointed in the direction that the ship had gone.

"The…" Allen's grey eyes widened for a moment in sudden realization. "The rocks! T-there was that volcanic eruption a few months ago; they wouldn't know about it… and it's underwater…" He glanced momentarily at Lero, then spun around abruptly. "We have to warn them!"

"WHAT LERO!?" Lero squawked (Allen covered his ears; he wondered if the humans had heard it even at such a distance). "Allen-tama… Allen-tama can't be… thinking of…"

"Saving them!" Allen finished, swimming off before Lero could reprimand him.

"…warning… Allen-tama! ALLEN-TAMA! Nonono…" Lero moaned miserably before following at a slower pace. "Earl-tama will be so mad if anything happens… what will become of Lero… leroro…"

Even at his fastest speed, it took Allen what seemed like an eternity to reach the ship. As he neared its side, he leaped up and grabbed the window ledge, and then the rope-

-and then the boat shuddered, releasing Allen's grip and sending him back into the frothy waves.

He was too late.

Allen cursed loudly, then swam to the front of the now-unmoving boat. Where the hull had once been, a giant, black crack now existed, as large as the circumference of Allen's treasure-cabin. Water was flowing in at an alarming rate. This ship was doomed… but what of its passengers?

A glance upward told Allen what he feared most: there were only a few lifeboats. Some had been lifted onto the ship, and sounds of a struggle for entry drifted down from the deck. Others still hung, lifelessly, on the side. To Allen's horror, however, some curious humans had come to the front of the boat and were staring down at the crack, where Allen was floating, their faces a mix of terror, shock, and helplessness. One of those was that pretty short-haired girl from earlier…

The boat gave a sudden lurch, and Allen dove deep into the sea to avoid its movement. He resurfaced a short distance away, close enough to see the sinking ship and the humans on it, but out of danger… from the ship itself, at least.

By now, water had crept halfway up the front of the ship, slanting it dangerously. Lifeboats were quickly being dropped into the ocean, often only half-full of passengers or crew members, but chaos still reigned on the deck. Most humans were attempting to make their way to the back of the ship, farthest from the water, although a few still scrambled towards the lifeboats at the front (the back ones had, for some reason, been released first). Huddled in a clump at the edge of the boat, their panicked cries for help and screams of terror could be heard clearly even from where Allen was.

Timcanpy, agitated, whacked Allen with its tail and the merboy jumped, startled. Had he really just been floating there, staring in shock and despair at the destruction of so many humans? But then, he thought, that's what they were: _humans_. They'd seemed so normal on that ship – just like merpeople, only without gills and legs instead of a tail – but… humans were humans... right?

Yet even though that thought came naturally, his heart ached at the thought of watching so many _people_ die…

He would help. He _had_ to help. Somehow. Even if it meant exposing what he was to them…

And suddenly, there was a loud crack, and the screams momentarily halted. Allen, about to start heading towards it, froze in mid-movement. In front of his eyes, the front of the ship was pulled underwater, and, unable to handle the movement while being weighed down with people, the back half had split from it. It floated silently for a moment, then flipped backwards and plummeted towards the ocean floor in one swift movement.

Cursing again, Allen swam as fast as he could with what little energy he had left… but by the time he arrived, only a few fragments of the ship were left at the top. The waves and rocks had pulled a number of unsuspecting lifeboats down with it. In the distance, a single dark shape was visible… only one had survived.

Even when he ducked his white-haired head underwater, there was nothing to be seen. Assuming the humans had not all drowned in the time it had taken him to arrive, none were close enough to the surface that Allen, with his depleted strength, could save in time. Had he not hesitated, perhaps… but it was too late now. The sea was eerily silent in the aftermath.

Allen wiped away a tear angrily even as more threatened to fall. Why hadn't he acted sooner?! Why had he floated there and watched the boat sink while questioning the need for humans when their lives –_ lives! _– were being lost? For that matter, why hadn't he remembered the hidden rocks in the first place, when he was in a position to prevent the accident from even happening in the first place? If he'd spoken… Or perhaps if he'd only been faster…

And now he had to live with the guilt for the rest of his life…

Splash.

Allen's regretful musings were interrupted.

Splash.

Allen spun around to discover the source of the noise. If it was Lero-

Another splash, slightly weaker this time. Allen's grey eyes widened. It wasn't the golem after all.

It was that short-haired girl from the boat, alive but barely conscious, blood streaming from her head, and weakly paddling her way towards land that she would never reach.

…Or not without Allen's help…

The boy dove towards her, his muscles crying out in pain, only to have the girl slip between his arms, no longer awake, and below the surface. Allen followed. She hadn't fallen very far by the time he reached her, slipped his arms around her, and pulled her limp body to the surface. It was a relief to feel her shallow breaths on his neck, Allen realized. The tension had mostly slipped away, the tears had halted, and, now that he could afford to think about it, things seemed just a little better than they had a few minutes ago. He'd saved a life. Someone would not die thanks to him.

…It felt good.

Allen had one last challenge ahead of him, however: reaching the faraway shore.

In his current state – weary from the rapid swimming he'd done in the span of under an hour, and in a state of mental shock from the events he'd experienced in that time – it seemed impossible. Indeed, he only had a vague idea of where the land _was_, and although it would have been a fairly quick swim on a normal day, had there not been an unconscious girl in his arms, Allen wouldn't even have considered it. Yet he couldn't support her like this until she awoke, even if she had the energy to swim back again, and if he didn't do anything, she would certainly die…

And so he tried his best to reach land with the last of his energy, every tail stroke requiring conscious effort, until the shadowy shapes of the human world became visible and Allen's eyes slowly slid shut…

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you after all…_

And then everything went black.

* * *

Allen was awoken by something gently brushing against his cheek.

_Huh? …Timcanpy?_ He turned his head towards the intrusion gently, eyes still closed. _Is that..._

Strange sounds now registered in his brain. With a moment of careful thought, he realized that one of them was the sound of water lapping gently against… something. It must be some object near him, he thought. But what were those strange cries above him? The roar from beyond his tail? And why was it so _bright_…

He cracked open one eye slightly, only to have both widen at what he saw. Close to Allen's face, in the centre of his vision, was another face: that of the beautiful short-haired girl from the ship.

"Ah…" So she had been responsible for awakening him. "Hi…"

"Hi," she responded. There was an awkward silence as each pondered an appropriate thing to say. As the fog of sleep cleared from Allen's mind, he grew aware of a number of things: the lapping and crashing sounds were those of water on the beach and waves, respectfully; he was not, in fact, underwater, but lying on dry sand with no water even touching his tail; his head was being supported by something… soft – the girl's lap? – and she was close enough that-

She knew. She had to know. There was no way she could have missed the tail, not if she was sitting this close to him (or rather, under him? Part of her was, anyway-), and he'd been asleep for an unknown period of time-

The girl! She was alive after all! Even though he'd run out of strength before reaching land, she-

"Thank you," she murmured, breaking the silence and brushing damp hair away from his forehead. "You… saved me, didn't you?"

"I… suppose so," Allen responded, still wondering how she was all right even after he'd left her unconscious body in the middle of the ocean like he had…

The question must have been clear in his expression, because she answered him as if she'd heard his thoughts. "I must have awoken just after you lost consciousness. There was land in sight, and…"

"You swam all that way?" he asked, incredulous. "With _me_?" Granted, he'd swum farther, but, well, she was a _human_.

Right. A human. He was talking to a human as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do.

"It wasn't that far," she protested, yet her cheeks turned pink and there was a hint of pride in her voice. "A-and I didn't know if you were all right at the time…"

"I am!" Allen said emphatically. "I was… tired. That's all."

"That's good, isn't it." The girl smiled… and Allen could feel the heat coming from his face at the sight. He wasn't… _blushing_, was he? At a human? Of course, she _was_ very cute when she smiled, but- a human- she was-

"I- I should be the one thanking you, then," he stammered nervously, pushing his upper body off the ground slightly. "Since you-"

Allen cut off suddenly at a faint pounding sound, gradually growing louder. It was unfamiliar to him, but the expression on the girl's face told him as much as he needed to know: humans were approaching. His heart pounded in his chest – were they going to find him? Had the girl called him?

He was promptly jolted out of his thoughts when she put a hand on his back to push him into a sitting position. "They're coming," she hissed. "You- you should go now. Before they find you."

Allen nodded numbly, suddenly feeling guilty at thinking she would do such a thing. She really _was_ a nice girl, after all! First she saved him even when she herself must have been weak and weary, and now… With a murmured thanks, he pulled his tail around behind him and, glancing over his shoulder once to see her worried yet grateful face, crawled (a slow, yet necessary method of movement) to the water's edge, and then until he was deep enough to submerge himself.

Yet even then, Allen didn't completely submerge himself. The humans were in sight now – although just barely visible at the edge of the small hill after the sand – and the girl had stood up… was she _waving_ to him?

"If you ever need any help," she called, "just ask for Lenalee, all right?" He nodded in response, then ducked his head under water as the humans reached her- no, Lenalee. Had she seen his answer?

Slowly, he crept upwards, his eyes emerging from the water. Lenalee was being escorted away by a group of armoured men – soldiers? They had those on land, too? – yet from the back, she seemed… relaxed, almost satisfied. She must have seen him after all.

Maybe those men had, too… No, if they had, wouldn't they be searching for him right now? With that reassuring thought, Allen watched Lenalee depart, then turned to leave for home. The sun was starting to get low in the sky (how long had he been asleep for?), and-

"Timcanpy!"

The golem fluttered anxiously in the air, zooming in and smacking Allen in the face when he turned around. Allen winced, then scowled at his friend.

"You didn't have to," he muttered. "Look, Tim… If it's about the humans, then I'm so- it wasn't?" he asked, incredulously, as the golem shook its… body. "Then… oh! I worried you, didn't I, falling unconscious like that… Sorry, Tim." Allen gave it a nervous smile and Timcanpy appeared to be satisfied. It spun around and dove into the ocean, leading the way home.

As Allen followed, a sudden thought sprang into his mind.

"Tim… what happened to Lero?"

(This was a question Allen would never find an answer to, but for the readers: Lero, discouraged about losing Allen, reluctantly returned to the Millennium Earl… who, since Lero would not stop whining about what a bad golem it was, decided to give the umbrella to Road for a day. Road was happy. Lero was not. Allen did not remember Lero was supposed to follow him after this until Lero popped up two days later to remind him, to Allen's great disappointment.)

* * *

As Lenalee was escorted by the soldiers back to the palace, her mind couldn't help but stray to the strange boy she had just met. What she had experienced that day had been traumatizing, so perhaps a part of her wanted to be protected from thinking about it… even if just for a short time, until she returned home and was forced to accept the inevitable truth. For now, the significantly less depressing but equally odd event of meeting a merperson – a real one! – filled her thoughts.

Lenalee had heard many tales of mermaids in her childhood, of course; living in a capital city with a large port and seeing the sea from her window made them a certainty. For years, sailors had spoken of beautiful women with the lower halves of fish calling the sailors to either temporary happiness or certain death – the stories never agreed on the final fate of the tempted. Never had she ever considered that such creatures could even exist in the first place, let alone deviate from the stereotype. After all, no sailor had disappeared in Lenalee's memory, so how could they be real?

Yet that boy was undeniably real. Lenalee hadn't even considered it when she awoke in his arms, the shock of water on her face jolting her out of unconsciousness even as his grip slackened and they began to sink. Back on the beach, she'd hesitated to tell him the real truth – she'd been afraid that without her help, he would drown. (How foolish that sounded now!) With land in sight, the possibility that a human had saved her was not so unlikely. Still, when she'd pulled him out of the water to check his condition, the tail could not be ignored. Strangely enough, Lenalee had been more shocked by how different he was from the stories than the existence of a merperson at all. Instead of being a buxom, beautiful young woman with flowing hair, sea-green eyes, a colourful tail, and nothing – or very little – covering them, he was slightly younger than she was, had short and silvery hair, a deep red scar crossing the left side of his face, and – to her surprise – he wore clothing in the modern city style, with a pale red ribbon tied around his neck. He even wore _gloves_ (or one glove, anyway, but what use would a merperson have for those?). Most surprising of all had been the beautiful silvery-gray eyes, the colour of the sky on a calm and cloudy day, that he'd revealed upon awakening. They were so innocent and beautiful…

Now that she thought about it, she'd never learned his name. Then again, she'd never really be in need of his help, would she. He could always be injured on land, or captured, or… but he could survive on land; she couldn't live underwater for any time at all. Besides, a princess had the power to protect a boy like that…

It wasn't as if she'd ever see him again anyway…

Any further thoughts of the boy were erased as Lenalee entered the castle doors. Despite the calm weather and beautiful sunset outside, the mood within the building was eerily sombre. As she passed attendant upon attendant with downcast faces, the halls oppressively silent but for her footsteps, Lenalee could no longer ignore the worries that she'd forced to the back of her mind earlier.

What had been the outcome of the boat accident?

Even before Lenalee saw her brother's tearful face, she suspected- no, she _knew_. For her to receive such a greeting… Something had gone terribly wrong. Lenalee opened her mouth to inquire, only to be interrupted by the force of a desperate hug. As Lenalee sank down to the floor, Komui, on his knees – he was too tall to give her a proper hug – sobbed into her shoulder. She patted his back soothingly.

"You must have been so worried, Brother," she whispered. "I'm all right- I- I'm sorry for returning so late…"

"Lenalee. You're alive. You're _alive_."

It wasn't until Lenalee's dress was completely stained and dirty and Komui could cry no longer that he pulled away from her, still sitting on the floor, and was able to tell her what Lenalee had been fearing since she returned to the castle:

"Anita… she's dead, Lenalee. Everyone else, too. There were only seven other survivors."

Seven. It was almost a relief to hear that so many had managed to avoid drowning; a part of Lenalee had believed she, with the help of that boy, had been the only one. Yet Anita, her old friend, whose fiancé they had been going to meet, was… she was…

"Does _he_ know?" Lenalee asked, surprised at how calm her voice was. She certainly felt otherwise. "Anita's…"

"I don't know." Komui couldn't meet her eyes. "Lavi is safe, though." That was a relief; Lavi had insisted on going with Lenalee that morning, _just in case_, and she wouldn't have been able to bear the guilt if anything had happened to him. "He's been worried about you this whole time. Bookman is also alive, so he can afford concern about the princess."

"I'll talk to him after this," Lenalee promised. "Brother…"

Even though Lenalee didn't finish the sentence, Komui understood. "We'll hold funerals next week. Don't worry about anything else – _anything_ – for the time being if you don't want to."

Lenalee was very fortunate to have such a caring brother; the last thing she wanted to worry about right now was finding a potential fiancé, or even making coffee for or disciplining her brother every day. Changing such a behaviour, especially temporarily, would be difficult for Komui, but she knew he'd do it for her sake.

"Thank you," Lenalee whispered to him, and then the tears began to fall.

_Thank you._ Whether that second one was to her brother, for his kindness, or to the boy, who had alleviated the pain of countless others, she didn't know.

* * *

Kind of a rushed ending there. Really hate this chapter. Remember, I like constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 2

The Clownfish

Disclaimer: Cross is way more badass and sexy in the original.

If you don't like long chapters, this is your warning. This is VERY LONG.

* * *

Chapter 2: That Poor, Unfortunate Soul

"Tiki…"

There was no response.

"Hey, Tiki…"

He couldn't keep this up for long!

"Tiiiiiiki." Something tugged a hanging strand of the Noah's hair. He scowled, but remained silent.

Well, this would not do.

Putting her lips close to his ear, Road whispered, "I know Tiki's secret."

"…What do you want, brat."

A now-pleased Road floated to the front of her brother's sitting form and slowly spun around in the water, eyes always on the other merperson. "Tiki, don't you think Allen's been behaving strangely these days?"

"Hm?" Tiki looked sceptical. "What do you mean?" He had apparently forgotten about Road's empty threat. This was part of her plan, though.

"You know…" Road's eyes widened briefly for the second that they met Tiki's. "He hasn't been around recently… and whenever I ask him about where he's going, he doesn't answer the question… and occasionally, I even catch him daydreaming."

"…and?"

"I think…" Road leaned closer to Tiki. "Allen's in _love_."

The room was silent for a moment before Tiki suddenly burst into laughter.

"Y-you… REALLY think…" Tiki gasped in between bouts of uncontrollable hysterical giggles, "that THAT boy… is… could be… HA. AHAHA."

Road pouted. "What's so strange about it? A boy that age… don't tell me you weren't like that when you were fifteen, Tiki. Falling in love…" A dreamy smile found its way to her face. "With a pretty little mermaid like me-"

"Nope." The laughter had subsided, but a grin that Tiki couldn't quite suppress remained. "When I was his age, I was busy working with the boys."

"You mean sitting around and drinking and gambling, right?"

"Well, on break… but you're not serious about this, are you, Road?" Tiki snorted. "Knowing that boy, he broke a vase or something and doesn't want anyone to find out about it. You'd better check to see if everything in the castle's intact."

"We'll see," Road told him, floating back to the door with a secretive smile on her face. "Wanna bet on it, Tiki?"

"Fifty."

"Awww, you know I don't have that much…"

"Too bad, squirt. Next time, then."

"No fair…"

For once, however, Tiki was correct. Although in a fairy tale, Allen would have fallen in love with the beautiful human girl after their brief exchange, this was _not_ a fairy tale. Sure, he thought about her more than he probably should have over the following weeks, but even Road wouldn't have called it 'love'… unless she really wanted to win that bet.

No, what Allen was hiding was his collection of human-made items that Lero had discovered. After a significant number of threats towards the golem, he'd managed to convince it to keep his secret… but it had made Allen realize how vulnerable he was to discovery. Exploring the sunken ship after a squad of merpeople had removed the corpses and scavenged for valuables (jewellery was particularly popular among mermaids, and the raw materials were difficult to obtain otherwise), he'd discovered everything from waterlogged books to plates and cutlery to silk clothing (ruined by the water, but nevertheless fascinating to Allen). It had taken him and Timcanpy a week to haul everything back to his hideout!

And that, of course, was where Allen was at the very moment Road was revealing her suspicions to Tiki. He'd managed to install some chairs and a table – wooden, so they were in danger of rotting eventually, but Allen had salvaged wooden objects older than himself that were still intact – in the sandy floor, and some fabric-covered ones on the stone shelves. The bed had taken significantly more effort, but Allen found it more comfortable than the one he slept in back in the palace… he suspected that it must have belonged to a princess. (The pink quilt gave it away. It was a dark pink, rather sophisticated, but no heterosexual prince would have a _pink quilt with a matching kitten pillow._ Well, _he_ might have had the latter; those kittens looked awfully cute.) Allen now had a complete dining room set for his morning, afternoon, evening, and midnight snacks, as well as a soft bed for afternoon naps.

He really did have too much time on his hands, didn't he?

"Allen-tama! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN A HUMAN THING LERO!?"

Ah… and Lero had discovered him, eight days after the golem had been assigned to watch the merboy in the first place. Had Road finally grown bored?

"It's not _really_ a human thing," Allen tried to reassure the umbrella. "That is, they _did_ make it, but-"

"If only the Earl-tama were here to see what had become of precious-"

"…but mermaids sleep in beds too, don't they?" Allen finished with a sigh. Lero ignored him and continued to wail about what a terrible child Allen had become.

"…AND IF JASDEVI-TAMA WERE HERE TO SEE THIS OUTRAGE, DO YOU THINK THEY'D EVER DO SUCH A THING, OH NO, THEY'D BE SO DISAPPOINTED IN ALLEN-TAMA, YES THEY-"

Allen groaned at the mention of Jasdevi; knowing those twins, they wouldn't be disappointed so much as murderous. This was hardly a new emotion for them. Fortunately, Allen had plenty of experience finding ways to escape from the devious, dangerous pair. Yet if Lero told them about his secret hiding place…

…well, Allen had put a lot of effort into scavenging everything in the cavern. It had occupied most of his days for the past five years. If he could still swim at the end of everything, they would be a very dead pair of merboys.

_If_ he could still swim.

"AND WHAT WOULD TIKI-"

Allen's gloved hand shot out to cover the golem's mouth. Lero writhed and made an attempt to bite him, but with no limbs to flail, it was completely stuck. Jasdevi was bad enough; Allen didn't want to even think about what Tiki would do to him if he found out Allen had a secret. His death wouldn't be the result of this stash, that'd be for sure.

"Lero," Allen said calmly, Timcampy bobbing in agreement, "you said you'd keep this a secret, right?" And Allen flashed one of his mood-brightening smiles. It worked on anything with a pulse except for his family, and even some things without one. Lero immediately went still, except to exhale outward against Allen's hand wearily.

"Allen-tama," it muttered once Allen had withdrawn his hand, "If you desire furnishings for your room lero, why not buy mermaid-made furniture? Lero is sure the Earl-tama could find a skilled craftsman, or a fashionable store to buy them from lero…"

"Hm?" It had actually never occurred to Allen… mostly because that would mean someone else knowing the location of his secret hiding place, or at least that he had one. "But I like this kind of thing. It's comfortable."

As comfortable as it could be when made for another species, anyway. For all fifteen years of his life, Allen had grown up in a world where humans had been hated, and often feared; it was difficult for him to feel otherwise without an example of someone who thought differently. Mana had never really shown a strong dislike towards humans… maybe that was why he could accept and appreciate their works as he did?

Of course, Allen couldn't ever actually like them. He didn't dislike them, either – especially not after seeing them with his own eyes; except for those strange legs, they were hardly different from merpeople – but _like_ was a feeling beyond mere neutrality. He did like the objects they had created, but merfolk rarely spoke of the objects themselves. Even if they were strange and harmful, it was the humans who had made them, and the humans who would use them. Objects were merely objects.

Now that Allen thought about it, though, maybe that had only been a justification for the plundering of ships for profit. Hmm…

"But Allen-tama…" Lero edged closer to him with a knowing smile. "The master craftsmen of the sea can make _anything_ Allen-tama wishes lero. Even if these things seem new and exciting lero-" the umbrella gestured towards Allen's collection with its tail(?) – "that's because they're unfamiliar lero. They have that _allure_ lero."

Lero knew such big words? And could pronounce them properly, too?

"…but _really_, Allen-tama," the golem continued, floating in loose elliptical patterns around the merboy, "there isn't actually anything better about them lero. Down here, there is anything Allen-tama could need or ever want lero. Allen-tama doesn't need human-made items lero! Everything the sea produces is better lero!"

Allen gave Lero a blank stare. "Why?"

"Because… because…" If golems could sweat, this one would be doing so. Attempting a different method of convincing Allen to do something, one that involved persuasion rather than screaming at the top of one's lungs, had used up most of the brains(? pumpkin mush?) Lero had. Once Lero was confronted with a reasonable question that involved human-level thought, this strategy failed. "BECAUSE HUMANS ARE BAD LERO!"

Timcanpy began to shake with silent laughter.

Allen, torn between similar amusement and sympathy for the now-crying golem, opened his mouth to say something comforting, failed to think of anything that would actually _be_ comforting, and, having no idea what to do with a crying golem, slowly and quietly slid out from under the bedcovers and made his escape. Lero, bawling, failed to notice even when a large golden ball _still _in fits of laughter darted past and nearly rammed into the umbrella by accident.

Their departure would not be noticed for another ten minutes, after Lero discovered the box of tissues Allen had been using as napkins.

By that time, Allen and Timcanpy had swum far from the cavern. With no destination in mind, the pair had wandered aimlessly around apartment buildings, city walls, and even through one or two farms whenever they strayed too far from human habitations. Certainly, Lero would be hard-pressed to find them, but that hadn't been Allen's intention; what could the golem do except be a bit of an annoyance (as long as it wasn't still crying)?

In his departure, hastened by the general awkwardness of the situation, Allen had neglected to remember his daily schedule… which involved plenty of hiding-in-the-cavern and exploring human shipwrecks. Such a life was a necessity for the second-youngest of the palace inhabitants. Now that he'd been driven out of his preferred time-wasting spot, what was Allen to do? The only human-item-related activities he could think of were the two he already favoured…

Allen suddenly felt a sharp pain in his earlobe; Timcanpy was demanding his attention. Absentmindedly prying the golem away from his punctured skin, Allen followed the path of the golden tail that was pointing to… a giant rock.

No, Allen realized after a few moments, it wasn't merely a giant rock. It was the City Library.

(Strangely, the City Library was outside the city walls – far away from most human settlements, in fact. Allen assumed it was just the most convenient location for a library, and one could hardly move an existing city to accommodate it. Whatever the reason, the library received relatively little traffic.)

The stone doors, carved out of the library's stone exterior into a splendid mural of sea life, towered over the approaching pair. Allen hadn't been to the library since his childhood with Mana, and even then, he'd mostly wandered around while Mana read a book, or talked to one of the knowledgeable historians. He'd never been that familiar with the place.

_Mana…_ no, now wasn't the time to remember the past. Assuming Mana wasn't the reason, why had Allen subconsciously found his way to the library? He _had_ been reflecting on his boredom, and on activities relating to his hobby-

-and the library would be the perfect place to read about the humans and their products. Of course. Why not spend a nice afternoon here?

As he approached the doors, though, Allen frowned. All this thinking had given him a headache; he wasn't used to so much of the activity. Perhaps he should turn around and come back on another, less brain-exercising day?

…but he was here now, so why not?

He pushed open the doors and, as he entered, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

The library was mostly one giant room of bookshelves, extending from the stone floor easily a hundred metres up in a labyrinthine formation; where the walls had not been fitted with glass to make windows, they too were covered in shelves, although these reached the ceiling. Carved from the interior of one large sea rock, the library was the only mermaid-made building to penetrate the ocean surface and provide a source of light that hadn't been refracted by the water. The main room's windows showed only the mermaid civilizations, but above that – where the rock jutted out of the water – was a room where, it was said, human texts were kept. Allen had only heard about _that_ room, of course; although it was open to the public, he'd preferred to play among the books in the larger room. Yet it was there – up a flight of winding stone stairs that led off of the entrance hall – that held the answers he was seeking today.

The staircase culminated in a wooden door set in the ceiling. With a nervous glance at Timcanpy, Allen pushed open the wooden flap and pulled himself through it and onto the cool, dry stone floor. Trickles of water ran off his body, darkening the stone and running into the gaps between stones.

(Had there been no visitors for such a long time that the floor had been dry?!)

Allen gasped in shock upon entering; it was not the room itself that was surprising – the walls were wooden panels, and the ceiling had been replaced by a glass roof, but it was otherwise similar to the main library room – but at the feeling of pure air rushing down his throat. Of course; whatever humans used to write things on, it did not last very long underwater. Books would need to be preserved in a dry space! He clung to the dry stone, finally managing to yank his tail out of the water and onto the stone itself. Unused to the lack of buoyancy the water had always offered, it took effort just to pull his torso off the ground and into a sitting position. The last time he'd been on land, gravity had been the _least_ of his concerns…

Above him, merpeople navigated around the bookshelves effortlessly with the use of a strange mechanical device… it was almost like a basket, Allen thought, only large enough to hold two adults, and that moved on tracks scattered around the shelves. They seemed to have no problem maintaining an upright position; time spent here must have made the librarians accustomed to the weight of gravity.

So where did he begin?

"May I help you-cho?" a voice chirped from above him.

Allen's head snapped upward. A track ran from the pool of water where the door was – he closed it hastily – across the floor and over to the bookshelves; one of the basket-things was perched on the track just in front of him. A young, brown-haired mermaid had peeked over the edge and was beaming at him.

"Umm, excuse me…," Allen muttered nervously. "Are you…"

"Yup, I'm a librarian-cho!" She frowned exaggeratedly. "Did you think I was too young-cho? Or too cute?"

"Er… The first, actually… ah, not that you're bad-looking," Allen added quickly when she seemed about to cry, "but… that's…"

"Oh, it's no problem!" She reached over the edge of the boat to him with one hand and swung open a hidden door to the basket with the other. "Come up here-cho. I'll help you find what you're looking for-cho."

"Thank you." Allen pulled himself into the basket and onto the bench – there were a pair inside – opposite the librarian. Timcanpy, small enough to seem weightless, fluttered effortlessly to perch on his head. "How does this work?"

The librarian nodded to a pair of joysticks set next to her seat. "This one-" she pulled it forward, and suddenly the basket lurched into motion, heading towards the shelves, "-moves it along the tracks-cho. And this one moves it up and down once we've reached a junction-cho."

"Amazing," Allen muttered, awestruck. Why didn't they have these back at the palace?

"Now that I look at you, you're awfully familiar, aren't you-cho?" She bit her lip and leaned forward, causing Allen to slump down against the back of the chair to avoid physical contact. "You're _cute_."

"Thanks." The personal space invasion was a bit uncomfortable. Pretty or not, Allen didn't like having someone's face _this_ close to his.

"I collect cute things, you know." She settled back onto her bench just as they approached a kind of crossroads. "Which direction-cho? That is, what are you looking for-cho?"

Allen paused, wondering how he should phrase his request. "I'm looking for books on human-made items," he finally said. "Tools, or furniture, for example."

"Got it-cho," she chirped cheerfully, and turned the basket down another path. "Anyway, you're one of the princes, right-cho? The youngest one-cho."

"Eh?! H-how did…"

"I've met some of them before-cho. Your little sister is also cute-cho!"

Evidently, she hadn't actually _met_ Road or she wouldn't be saying that.

"I-is that right," Allen stammered, watching nervously when the basket came off the ground and approached the glass roof. Sitting upright took little effort now, but he still clung to the edge of the basket… out of nerves now. He'd never been so far away from the ground when a fall would prove harmful or even deadly.

"Yup! I'm Sachiko, by the way!" She held out her free hand to shake, and he pried one hand away from the side to take it. Even if the height terrified him, it wouldn't be polite to refuse.

"I'm Allen-"

"I know, I know! After all, you're a cute thing-cho!"

Allen found himself wondering if he _really_ needed those books…

"Aaaaaaand- here!" Sachiko interrupted his worrying when she plucked a book from the shelf they were currently passing. "This one's about recent inventions-cho. It isn't actually recent, though…"

"Thank you," Allen told her gratefully, taking the book and flipping it open to check the publication date – nearly a hundred years before. Oh well. Better than nothing.

"And this one's about design-cho." Another book was handed to him. "Architecture-cho. Tool catalogue-cho. Musical instrument guide-cho." The pile was becoming increasingly heavy; one or two had already fallen onto his tail. "Instruction manual-cho."

"I think this is enough," Allen said quickly as the librarian reached for another book. "Is there anywhere I could go to read them?" Timcanpy flew down to examine a book that had fallen open on his lap, tiny arms attempting to turn the pages. Allen gave it a nervous look, hoping the golem wouldn't try to use his teeth on them.

"There are some chairs by the windows-cho – I'll find an empty one for you!" Sachiko was a never-ending fountain of energy, wasn't she?

And, just as she promised, Allen was soon deposited at a comfortable chair in black-and-white stripes (they matched the typical palace décor, but not the subtle elegance of the library room itself) overlooking a familiar ocean view. With a cheerful thank-you to Sachiko, who gave him a wave as she zoomed off in the basket, Allen picked up the first book on the pile (a guide to modern transportation) and began to read.

Allen had not counted on the books being rather, well, boring. Although he did finish some of the easier books – children's, the one on musical instruments, anything intended for the general public – any mermaid passing him on that afternoon would have been greeted with the sight of what seemed to be a book with white hair emerging from its pages, and may have even heard a soft snore or two.

It was nearly sunset when the book slipped off Allen's face as he awoke, yawning. One half-open grey eye immediately caught an interesting sight: a medium-sized ship in the distance. Allen sat up completely, fixated on the boat until it disappeared from his sight, upon which he gave a relieved sigh and leaned back. Timcanpy gave him a worried look (as best as it could, anyway); Allen shook his head and smiled back at it.

"It didn't sink this time," Allen murmured, relieved. Even after a week, he still felt twinges of guilt for not coming to the ship's aid in time. Yes, it would have revealed his secret to more than just one human girl, but did so many really deserve to die? Human or not, they couldn't have been anything more than innocent lives. At least, Lenalee had seemed nice…

…awfully cute, too-

Allen snapped the book shut. That was definitely something he shouldn't be thinking about, not when he was never going to see her again! At least, he hoped he wouldn't, if only because that would mean she had the misfortune to be on yet another sinking ship.

"Are you done-cho?"

Sachiko was waving to him from her moving-basket.

"Ah… yes," Allen said cheerfully. "Thank you for all the help! What should I do with…" He gestured to the pile of books.

"No problem-cho. I'll pick those up later and sort them-cho. Need a ride back to the exit-cho?"

Well, it was just a few minutes, Allen figured. It couldn't be _that_ bad.

Alas, Sachiko insisted upon telling Allen about her collection of cute things shaped like kittens during the three-minute journey.

* * *

If Allen had learned one thing from his library journey (which did not involve the effects of gravity on mermaids or books on his awakened state), it involved a certain item in his cavern towards which he felt a strange kind of affection. Among the books had been one on the basics of playing the piano. Allen didn't understand most of it, being unable to read music, but it had rekindled his interest in the beautiful wooden instrument.

Fortunately, Lero did not follow him to the cavern the next day, leaving Allen to explore the piano and the beautiful melodies it was capable of. He'd always known what it was – common knowledge among the merfolk – but had never bothered to use it beyond hitting one or two keys for the sake of making sure it worked properly. That one book, though, had ignited his curiosity with its instructions on hand placement, key names, and playing simple tunes.

He'd sat down at the piano bench carefully, making sure his tail was bent underneath the seat, pulled off his gloves, and touched the keys gently. The ivory had felt smooth under his fingertips, and his deformed, red left hand made an unusual contrast to the black and white of the piano. Slowly, slowly, one finger applied pressure to what he understood was an A… and suddenly, the key plunged downward, a muted sound echoing through the water.

It was strangely beautiful now that there was thought behind his actions.

Another key – B this time. A slightly higher-pitched tone rang through the water, a natural vibrato occurring as the sound was distorted by the thicker medium. As soon as the sound had dissipated, he pressed another one – C – and then a black one – C sharp. His fingers slowly danced over the keys, still pressing one at a time, and fleshing out the most basic of melodies after a short time. Finally, he ventured to hold down two at a time. The book had talked about 'fifths'; he spent a few moments in careful calculation, then hesitantly held down B and F. The resulting sound, however, clashed terribly. Allen flinched, then frowned. What had he done wrong?

Time to experiment. B and F sharp? And ah… that was it.

Allen didn't even notice when Timcanpy floated over to perch itself on the empty music book stand in front of him, or when a pair of blank eyes flickered open to watched him from the shadows only to disappear through the door-crack moments later. He was busy enjoying every moment of this new experience, laughter combining with the music to create an altogether fantastical afternoon.

…but Allen couldn't find happiness just yet. He'd first have to venture out of the ocean and on to land, away from his family and everything he'd once known. It would not be a great sacrifice for him, not after enduring five years of teasing, bullying, stalking…

Oh, and of course, the Earl's interference in his life.

That had begun with Lero's assignment, and although Lero had failed spectacularly in convincing Allen of the errors of his ways, Allen was mistaken to believe not only that a golem of the Earl would keep its word but also that not a single serious problem could arise from Lero's presence. At least, none that didn't involve Road.

He was sadly mistaken on both.

"L-lero has been summoned by the Earl-tama, lero?" the golem stammered, nearly horizontal in an attempt at a bow. It chanced a peek at the Earl-octopus; that teeth-baring smile never wavered. The expression never ceased to make Lero increasingly nervous.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?"

"I-indeed, Earl-tama, the w-weather is… lero…"

"Has dear Allen Walker been enjoying it?"

"A-Allen-tama lero? W-well… Allen-tama has… has been once…"

"Once?" The smile never wavered, but it seemed to Lero that the Earl was displeased. "Only once… Road tells me she hasn't seen him around the palace recently, though."

"Y-you see… Allen-tama has… has… been COLLECTING HUMAN ITEMS LERO!!" The golem burst into tears again. The Earl held out a handkerchief politely. "LERO KNOWS IT'S WRONG OF ALLEN-TAMA TO DO SO, BUT ALLEN-TAMA WOULDN'T LISTEN TO LERO-"

"Collecting human items… What a strange hobby."

"…Earl-tama doesn't care?" Lero whispered weakly. "Not about the human items lero?"

"They're merely pieces of junk to us. What Allen does in his free time is something the clan of Noah should not worry about."

Clan of Noah… the Earl didn't usually include himself in that category. Fortunately for Lero, the golem had one more piece of information to incriminate the boy.

"Even if it involves saving humans lero?"

"Saving…" The grin wavered. "Allen Walker has saved the life of a human?"

"L-lero thinks that may be so… Lero l-lost him one time lero, but Allen-tama was going to save the humans from a sinking ship lero! Lero told Allen-tama that more dead humans are good for the world lero, but Allen-tama-"

"Really now… Saving humans, you say." Was it just Lero, or did the Earl sound almost satisfied?

"A-and Allen-tama has been exploring that ship for the human items lero." There was a hint of arrogance in Lero's voice, and a bit of happiness; if this led to Allen's punishment… Well, it was the boy's fault for being so irresponsible in the first place!

"How interesting. Tell me, Lero, where is Allen Walker now?"

The smile remained, yet now it would have stricken terror in the heart of anyone facing it.

Allen could never have seen it coming.

* * *

The water stirred behind him, but Allen didn't turn away from his composition. Timcanpy was still sitting on the wooden instrument, and only two other animate beings knew about this location – "Are you feeling more cheerful now, Lero?" he asked brightly without turning his head. "Want to listen to something pretty? I know it's from a human object, but-"

"Good afternoon, Allen Walker."

Allen's fingers froze and the soft melody abruptly silenced.

"The Millennium Earl…" Allen whispered, still staring straight ahead across the front of the piano. How had he been discovered? What did this mean? Why would the Earl come here all of a sudden? Even if he'd known about the cache before, Allen could see no reason why… unless…

"Lero couldn't let Allen-tama be corrupted any more lero! So Lero told the Earl-tama about Allen-tama's secret lero!" Lero cackled. (Allen's eyes narrowed at that annoying voice; who else could it have been, really. If he could get his hands on that promise-breaking golem now-) "In the end, Allen-tama will see that this is for the best lero!"

"What an interesting hobby you have, Allen." The Earl drifted closer, tentacles creating little currents that made Allen shiver upon contact with them. "You've clearly worked very hard on its expansion."

"I-it's… they're…" Allen slowly turned around on the bench, head lowered as he stared at nothing. He still couldn't bring himself to meet the Earl's eyes. "N-nothing's dangerous. None of it has anything to do with humans anymore…"

"How fascinating." The Earl glanced around the cavern, eyes lingering on item after item until finally settling on the gramophone. The silence was wreaking havoc on Allen's nerves; by the time the Earl spoke again, he was visibly shaking. "Humans, you say? Lero doesn't seem to like humans, you know."

"I- I know," Allen whispered.

"This must have taken _such_ a long time…"

Allen jerked his head downward in a nod.

"Lero has nothing to worry about, though. Of course it has nothing to do with humans. Didn't they discard it all for us to have? Like a gift."

"I… I suppose." Allen's reply was almost a squeak.

"And if that were everything, then no one would have any reason to bother you here."

Allen's heart leaped; was the Earl planning to leave? Had he come here to do nothing more than enjoy the reactions of a terrified Allen?

"But this isn't everything, is it, Allen Walker?"

"Huh?" Allen's head snapped upward, and he suddenly wished he hadn't reacted so reflexively; the Earl's grin widened when Allen's large grey eyes became visible. "What-"

"Surely you must know more about humans than-" The Earl waved a hand around, gesturing at the item-covered shelves. "-this?"

"No," Allen murmured hoarsely, the lie nearly catching in his throat, "not at all."

"Really?" The mild curiosity in the Earl's eyes had been replaced with a new emotion, Allen noticed fearfully. It was that triumphant feeling of catching a wrongdoer and knowing – being satisfied – that he would get his rightful punishment. He'd seen it in Lero's eyes before whenever the Earl found the golem with Road. "Yet Lero tells me otherwise."

Lero gave a nasty cackle again; Allen shot it a glare. "I don't understand-"

"How amazing, to be among the first to witness a sinking ship full of perishing humans. A wonderful sight, isn't it, Allen?"

The Earl's grin was challenging him to say otherwise – to confess. Trembling, Allen murmured something inaudible. Lero hadn't followed him to the land with Lenalee – how, then…

Allen's lack of a proper answer did not, however, dissuade the Earl. "Tell me, Allen, were you successful in achieving your goal that day?"

"My…"

"Which _should_ have been to watch the wonderful sight of life escaping from humans."

"You never said anything about them!" Allen protested, the heat in his voice shocking to Lero and even himself. The Earl seemed unaffected. "You said so yourself – 'who said anything about humans' – what's wrong with-"

"My dear boy…" Allen nearly cried out at the menacing pleasure in that smile. "Haven't you learned by now? These are simply tests designed to test our young people before they grow too stubborn for us to mould. Haven't you ever wondered why merpeople are allowed to see the surface at fifteen, yet no one ever goes up there themselves?"

"N-no…" It couldn't be… this had all been set up to test his loyalty? His understanding of the traditions, the unspoken taboos? "B-but how am I s-supposed to know-"

"If one has been properly raised, one would have the instinct to enjoy a human's beautiful death." The Earl leaned closer to Allen, making the boy shift backwards as much as he possibly could. When he found himself pressed against the edge of the piano awkwardly, Allen turned his head away slightly; that caused the Earl's grin to widen. "As you should have felt with that wretch of a human you not only allowed to continue its miserable existence, but even _aided-_"

"Don't talk about Lenalee like that!"

The Earl became silent. Allen flinched, visibly trembling.

"She's… she wasn't like that at all. If there's nothing wrong with her, then how do I know you're not-"

"**Lenalee**?" The grin slipped, and Allen's mouth snapped shut at a sudden realization… he'd accidentally revealed everything. The Earl had been leading him on; there was no way he could know what happened that day. "Has Allen Walker actually grown… attached… to one of those things?"

"I- She just told me her name-"

"ALLEN-TAMA SPOKE WITH A HUMAN LERO?!"

"It seems we haven't done a very good job of educating you, now, haven't we, Allen Walker."

The smile had returned, more knowing and sadistic than ever. Allen instinctively pulled his head backwards and clenched his eyes shut tightly.

"It was an accident," he whispered weakly, desperately. _No, _please_, nononono_- "I didn't mean to- She was unconscious at first-"

"Misbehaving children need to be punished. Come here, Lero."

Allen whimpered. "Please, I won't ever go up there again- I won't-"

"This will teach you to behave."

"I PROMISE, I WON'T-" He was screaming now.

"You won't disobey ever again, Allen Walker."

The world exploded around him.

* * *

Timcanpy hovered in the water, wings flapping frantically as it strained to get a clear view of what was left of the cavern. The Earl and Lero had left already, but the dust hadn't yet settled from their visit, and Allen was nowhere to be seen. Here and there, fragments of polished wood or shiny metal had settled on the rubble, catching the light and reflecting it to reveal their position. Those flashes were the only indication of solid material for the time being.

There was a groan from below; Timcanpy waited for the telltale flash before diving down to the source of the sound. This close to the natural ground, debris was piled high enough to cover the entrance crack, and could easily have covered a fully grown mermaid even in a vertical position. Allen, fortunately, was not buried deep; spots of pale hair poked through dark wreckage here and there, and as he shifted, the movement of junk created tiny avalanches as his head emerged from the pile. This low, the dust had mostly dissipated or floated to the surface, leaving Timcanpy with clear vision to divebomb his companion affectionately.

"Timcanpy…" Allen coughed, wincing at the action. "What…" His eyes slowly fixated on the scene around him. "This…"

Timcanpy snuggled Allen's tousled hair fondly; at least Allen was safe, if not uninjured. Next to his perch, the water had taken on a reddish tinge where wounds had opened in the boy's head. Allen's breathing was strained; he probably hadn't broken any ribs, but the boy's torso would no doubt be coloured purple and yellow in the days to come. When Allen finally managed to clear enough rubble away from his tail to emerge from the wreckage, cuts and welts were visible over the skin, and through tears in his shirt.

Allen flopped weakly on top of the pile and stared at the open space above him, ignoring the damage he could see in the corners of his eyes. He felt strangely tired. Fear had disappeared at the Earl's exit, once the debris had settled, and the anger and hate he'd expected to replace it simply hadn't come. Yet he wasn't particularly sad, either. Empty. He felt empty.

Timcanpy, dislodged from his position by Allen's movements, perched on the boy's chest instead, bouncing lightly at the slow rising and falling movements. Its wings drooped sadly.

"It's all gone…" Allen raised his arm as if to grasp at something above him, something nonexistent, then let it fall in front of his eyes to shield them from the sun. The dusty water had cleared, providing faint protection no longer. "Everything we worked for over these past five years… it's gone." His voice was a broken whisper. "Gone."

All Timcanpy could do was watch as tears fell from Allen's eyes, more powerful than it had seen in a long time. His chest heaved with sobs that never passed clenched teeth. At times like this, the golem almost wished it could be more of a comfort – to speak, to reassure its friend that everything would be all right in the end, even if it knew full well that it wouldn't be. Instead, all Timcanpy could do was nuzzle Allen's cheek and hope that the boy could feel it through his pain.

For what felt like hours, Allen lay there crying, the misshapen remains of the cavern echoing his sobs – sometimes soft and muted, sometimes loud and unrestrained; there was no one else to hear him – until finally they subsided into mere sniffles, with Allen finally rubbing his eyes to clear them of remaining tears and growing quiet.

He'd lost his gloves in the wreckage, he noticed; he didn't want to have to look for them again. It felt strange to be without them, though. For his left hand, at least…

Allen sat up carefully, cringing when the movement of his muscles caused an injury to ache. Timcanpy hovered in front of him, patiently waiting for his next move. "Gloves," Allen muttered, floating off the rubble and half-heartedly sifting through the top layer of what had once been his favourite place to be. "Have to find…"

The uninjured Timcanpy darted off, presumably to look for the pair. Allen blinked in surprise when, moments later, a piece of thick white fabric was shoved under his nose – the right glove. He took it gratefully (noting the bite marks – well, they'd fade eventually; Tim's teeth hadn't gone right through) and gave Timcanpy a questioning look. When Timcanpy darted off, turning once to make sure it was not planning to do this alone, Allen followed.

The second glove, it turned out, was wedged under a particularly large rock three times Timcanpy's size. With a grateful look at his golem, Allen retrieved it, happy to see that the gloves were relatively intact. If the same could be said about anything else he'd once collected-

No, it was hopeless. The thought was possible, even acceptable, after the tears Allen had shed; he couldn't think of any other conclusion. He had to accept this. What was gone was gone, and if he continued to hold on to a few intact remnants of a happy past, he'd never be able to move on. Hadn't he been able to do it for Mana?

_No, I didn't,_ Allen thought sourly, _and that's why I have a scar on my face for everyone to stare at._

Well, not everyone. Sachiko hadn't – but then, she'd recognized him as the prince right away – and most of the palace staff had grown accustomed to it by now. And Lenalee hadn't-

_Stop thinking of her!_ he forced himself to think desperately. _So what if she was cute? Lots of girls are cute! And anyway, you were unconscious for hours, so for all you know she could have been staring at it until you woke up!_

…but at least he hadn't _seen _her staring at it- No, he was going to stop thinking about people he'd never see again and focus on the present situation.

Which was this: He was alone and injured in a cavern no one knew about – no one who would help him, at least. If he went back to the palace, he'd certainly have to endure even more punishment from the Earl at the very least, and that was assuming the other Noah hadn't heard about it. If he stayed away… but where would he go? His face was hardly unknown to merpeople, and the only place he knew was safe to stay in had just been destroyed.

As if that weren't enough, he now needed a new hobby. (Going to the library every day was not an option even if Sachiko weren't bound to be there. He did not feel like dealing with her right now.)

"Tim," he asked his long-time friend, "what do we do now?"

For once, Timcanpy had an answer that Allen would never come to on his own. It also happened to be the perfect answer to the boy's problems.

Beckoning Allen with its tail, Timcanpy zoomed up above the piles of wrecked human-made items, pausing at the opening to wait. Allen was puzzled by the golem's sudden action, but decided following Timcanpy couldn't hurt – after all, the golem was his friend; he could trust it. Besides, things couldn't possibly get any worse. As he turned to follow, though, a sudden shimmer caught his eye. Hesitantly, Allen reached below the rubble to extract the shiny object.

It was a fragment of the gorgeous wooden piano.

Allen let it drop from his hands, staring numbly at his bare palms instead. It was not until a piece of rock that Timcanpy had knocked off the cliff fell behind him that he was jolted out of his trance. With a last sad look at the piano fragment, Allen floated upwards, following Timcanpy to an unknown destination, never to return to the place that had once been his home.

* * *

They'd been swimming for hours, and Allen, still weak from the injuries he'd sustained at the hands of the Earl, was growing weary. This part of the ocean was unfamiliar, yet Timcanpy seemed to know exactly where it was going. All the boy could do was follow. Right now, he didn't even know if he had the strength to turn back – or where to go if he did.

"Timcanpy?" he murmured hesitantly, half-wondering if it still had a goal in mind. The golden golem halted for a brief moment to nod to Allen, then continued on its path. With a sigh, Allen followed; Timcanpy was determined to continue until they reached its desired destination.

The sun had set by now, although Allen didn't think that was the reason for the dark atmosphere of this land. It was certainly deeper than he'd ever been before. Strangely coloured coral shone eerily around him, though he'd seen very few fish for a long time. The ones he had seen tended to be dark and unfriendly, hidden under rocks or behind coral as he passed. Allen shivered; not only was it dark here, but _cold_, too. Even with the minimal protection a vest provided, his loose white shirt was not suited for such temperatures. At times like this, Allen almost wished he could actually store fat from his six daily meals.

Suddenly, Timcanpy turned straight upwards, disappearing from Allen's sight for a brief moment. The atmosphere was no less dismal even close to the surface; it seemed that a rather large rock - no, it was larger than that, it looked like… an island? The word was only vaguely familiar to Allen – obscured the moonlight from reaching the ocean depths. It was to this… island… that Timcanpy led Allen.

As the pair approached, Allen noticed a large space, about the size of a mermaid, that almost seemed darker than the rest of the land even in this lack of light. It was almost as if nothing existed there…

A hole! There was a hole in the bottom of the island!

Timcanpy zoomed through the large space, leaving Allen to pause momentarily out of worry. The hole was larger than it seemed at first sight, yet as Allen continued swimming up the tunnel through rock and hardened clay, he bumped into the walls on more than one occasion, and not because of the darkness. By the time a faint spark of light became visible in the distance, a claustrophobic feeling had set in. Allen was relieved when the light became so close that it filled his vision and cast shadows even in the wide pool of water he had emerged in.

For only the third time in Allen's life, his head broke through the surface of the water and cool air flooded his lungs. Here, in a tiny rock cavern nearly sealed off from the outside world, that air felt a little less refreshing … a bit dank, almost _used_. Was there any circulation down here?

Allen floated to the edge of the pool of water and looked around the roughly circular cave. A pair of lanterns dimly lit the room, one on either side of him. Had he not been plunged into darkness for hours now, the distinction between this and natural light would have been very clear indeed. The pool led down into the tunnel he had emerged from, and extended a little ways into the room; from there, the rock floor that extended to the walls was smooth and flat. It seemed natural, yet… Allen couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this room felt _unnatural_. No stone hollow would have such smooth floors, not without the intervention of sentient beings.

Directly across from him, a part of the wall seemed to have disappeared… no, now that he looked at it, there were faint stone steps leading up into the gap. Was he underground? The thought of being above the surface of the water yet still below the sky made him feel uncomfortable.

Timcanpy darted out of the water suddenly, hovering in the air as if waiting for Allen to do something. The merboy frowned; what did the golem expect to happen? If he had to climb up those stairs after all this…

"What is it, Timcanpy?" he asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. "What do you want me to do?"

"Why, to see me, of course."

Allen nearly jumped out of the water at the shock. He wasn't alone! As he looked around frantically for the source of the voice, Timcanpy fluttered over to a shadow leaning against the wall near the stairs, settling contentedly on top. As Allen watched, stunned, the shadow unfolded and somehow glided to the centre of the room.

It was a man, dressed all in black, with thick red hair cascading over his shoulders and down his back. The right half of his face was hidden by a white mask, yet neither that nor the spectacles that crossed his face could hide the knowing look in his one visible eye. He wore a sly smile – or was it a smirk? With this man, it was difficult to tell.

"I see Timcanpy brought you here," the man said. His deep voice was echoed by the rock walls. "He was my golem originally, you know."

"R-really…" Allen gaped at the golem. "Timcanpy… I thought you-"

"-but I haven't seen him for years. Five years, actually." The smile widened.

Allen's mouth hung open, yet he didn't say a word. He'd had Timcanpy for five years, ever since Mana had given the golem to him before… Did that mean this man had known Mana?

"You mean Mana Walker?" the man murmured, amused, and Allen cringed at the realization that he'd spoken aloud. "Of course I knew him, once upon a time. You're Allen Walker, then, aren't you."

Allen nodded numbly. "How…"

"Mutual acquaintances. Come here, come here." The man waved to him, displaying froths of lace at the end of his sleeves. "It's impolite to sit in a pool of water so far away from your host. You _are_ a mermaid, are you not?"

"Mer_man_," Allen muttered sulkily, although none of the emotion found its way onto his face. He pulled himself out of the pool and dragged his body a little closer to the man. Now that he was looking down on the floor, Allen noticed that the smooth surface was certainly not untouched by living beings. A design had been carved out of the floor – a cross encircled by a number of rings. The centre of the cross was also a large circle, divided into many parts. Allen had stopped at the second-most outer ring; the man was sitting on the top of the cross directly across from him.

"Closer." Allen shuffled to the other, longer end of the cross. "Excellent. So tell me…" He gave Allen an amused look. "What brings the son of Mana Walker to the domain of me, Cross Marian?"

_Isn't he being just a bit overdramatic? _"Timcanpy led me here," Allen told the mysterious Cross. "I was… feeling a bit… discouraged, and I asked Timcanpy what I should do from here on."

He hadn't expected to meet someone who knew Mana, though. For that matter, he hadn't believed he'd ever encounter anything to do with Mana again. Continuing like normal had been difficult enough after Mana's death; he'd done his best to find other reasons to live – something that would enable him to enjoy waking up in the morning and look forward to the day ahead of him – and he'd found that in scavenging sunken ships for human-made items. (There was a brief interlude when cheating at card games was a favourite activity, but Allen grew tired of that when Tiki refused to stop bullying the younger boy for soundly beating him every time.) It had meant that he'd never been able to allow himself to _feel_ the loss of Mana. He'd removed any emotion from those memories. It had been easy then, when he had nothing but his own recollections to provoke those emotions, but if this Cross wanted to speak about Mana-

He wouldn't do it. He couldn't. Allen had spent years letting go of his father, and the last thing he wanted was to have to think about the dead merman.

"Discouraged, huh?" Cross snorted. "You're young enough. There are plenty of beautiful ladies out there for-"

Allen's face heated up. "It has nothing to do with girls!" he protested, thoughts of Mana disappearing from his mind temporarily. "I only needed to stay away from… the castle for a while." Not so long ago it had been 'home'. Allen wondered if he'd ever be able to see it that way again when his _real_ home no longer existed.

"The castle?" Cross raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "So that's what happened to you…"

The temptation to ask what Cross meant was incredibly powerful; Allen had already opened his mouth to inquire when he realized what the answer would involve. He would not give in to this!

"Taken in by the extended family after your father was murdered? How unfortunate." The tone of his voice said Cross could care less about Allen, but that wasn't what caught the boy's attention.

"M-murdered?" he whispered. If Mana's death hadn't been an accident-

No, he'd said he wouldn't talk about Mana anymore!

…but this wasn't the same, was it? Nothing about this piece of information required Allen to suffer through old memories of his father, right? Besides, curiosity was currently overriding his logical-thought processes at the moment, and Allen preferred to blindly give in to that feeling rather than come up with weak arguments as to why he should go against what he'd decided and lived by for so long.

"Of course." Cross leaned back and gave a dramatic sigh. "But I shouldn't be telling this to someone like you. It might make you even more… eh, what was the word… discouraged?"

"You know who… who murdered Mana, do you not?" Allen demanded, unaware of the satisfied look in Cross's visible eye. "Won't you please tell me?"

"Is it worth it, though?" Cross mused. "Your world would be completely shattered. Everything you knew, loved, cared for – you'd see it differently… well, I suppose I can let it slip, just this once. Your reaction should be priceless, after all.."

And he was still smiling? _What kind of a person is this?_

"I want to know," Allen said, determined. "Right now, I have already lost my trust in something I once believed in. I can accept this."

"Really now?" Cross leaned forward, looking interested. "You've already come to care less about that fat bastard? Excellent; what I have to tell you won't be so heartbreaking as I'd originally hoped."

"Hoped… Excuse me, but are you really a nice person?" Allen was beginning to worry that Timcanpy had made a serious error in judgment by befriending this man in the first place, let alone bringing Allen here to meet him, too.

"Nice?" Cross repeated. "Certainly not. You see, I have a task that needs to be done, and Timcanpy thinks you're the perfect person to do it. I have my doubts – you seem like an average boy of your age, which really doesn't say much for the species – but…" He shrugged, nonchalant. "It needs to be done."

"Wait a moment…" Everything was starting to come together now. "You want me to be heartbroken so I can accomplish this task for you?" Allen asked, bewildered. "Not only that, but you're telling me this beforehand?"

"Well, it's not as if it's _untrue_." Cross turned back to Allen and grinned deviously. "So what'll it be, kid? Wanna hear the truth and help me out, or would you rather run back home to the brats you call a family?"

"They _are_ my family," Allen said defensively, although silently adding, _even if I do dislike them._

"That they are. Which makes it all the worse. You see," Cross paused for a minute to pull out a pipe and light it; Allen was too anxious for him to continue to pay attention to the unusual item, "that fatty's the one who murdered your father in the first place."

"Fa- you mean the _Earl_!?" Allen's jaw dropped. Had he been underwater he could have caught a large fish in his mouth. "That can't be! They were related – by blood – how could anyone do such a thing to…"

"What, like you're not picked on in the castle? Aren't they your blood relations too?" At Allen's petulant look, Cross snorted. "Your father had been bending the rules a little, and going his own way. When that tentacled flab confronted him – gave him an ultimatum Walker didn't like – well, Walker tried to kill him. How do you think the balloon reacted?"

All these insulting nicknames for the Earl were beginning to confuse Allen. "I can't believe that! Why would the Earl kill someone himself for such a thing? He could try Mana for treason, or – or imprison him, but…"

"At least you know why someone would want to kill that fatass in the first place," the red-haired man muttered. "You really think so? Even after what happened earlier today?" He nodded in Allen's direction, indicating the boy's injuries. "And what did you do… break a vase and not tell anyone?"

"I saved a human," Allen muttered, blushing in embarrassment. How had Cross known what happened earlier, anyway? "It was my fault that the ship sank at all – I could have warned the crew if I'd remembered about the rocks earlier…"

There was a strange look in Cross's eyes now, one that held no trace of the sly satisfaction only moments before. "Is that so," he murmured. "Destroying your faith in him for one human life…"

Allen nodded stiffly. "I don't regret it. I never will."

"That's good." The shock must have shown on Allen's face, for the look disappeared and Cross chuckled. "Perfect attitude for your mission."

"My… I never agreed to that! You told me about the Earl all on your own without waiting for my answer!"

"Oh? I never said you _had_ to undertake the mission if I told you, only that you'd want to." Cross blew a perfectly round ring of smoke and grinned when it entered Allen's personal air space, eliciting a cough from the boy. "What if I told you the mission would involve a sort of vacation from the mermaid habitations? Er, not a _vacation_, exactly, but you won't have to see a single one of your kind for quite a while."

"It does sound tempting," Allen murmured thoughtfully. "I suppose it can't hurt to listen, at least…"

"Excellent! What you'll be doing is a scouting mission for me. See, not so long ago, there was a scientific experiment to create a powerful weapon called _akuma_. What with all the wars going on everywhere even a hint of an intelligent being exists, such a thing was to be expected. Now-" In the momentary pause, another smoke ring was blown. This time, Allen leaned away from it as it passed. "It didn't work out very well. That's all you need to know of that."

"How does this relate to my mission?" Untrustworthy as the man may be, his tale only intensified Allen's perpetual curiosity. "Moreover, who created these-"

"Well, the Earl, of course. That's why I'm sending _you_, even though a mermaid who spent all their life in a little patch of ocean would be completely unfamiliar with the territory."

"What will I be doing?" Allen asked again.

"Oh, _that_. It's simple, really. Just go to the city – not _that_ one; since you've never been there before, you'll get directions to it – and stay there for a little while monitoring the area to see if any akuma live there. You've already got the necessary equipment for that in your eye, don't you?"

"Pardon?" Allen blinked. "You mean this scar?"

"You got that from Walker, right? He was involved in all of this too, after all. Must've given it to you as some kind of warning system to make sure his precious son wasn't attacked."

"Attack- you mean this isn't safe?!"

"Oh, it's perfectly safe. For you, anyway. Fatass won't be controlling these ones. So?" The pipe was set down calmly next to Cross, and was replaced by a scroll of faded yellow paper – the kind humans once used, Allen noted. He'd seen it in some of the library books. "How about it? Gonna help me?"

"And you're sure it isn't dangerous?" Allen asked warily. "Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

"As I said – all you have to do is stay in a city for three months. That's all. Of course, you'll have to provide your own lodging and meals, but…" Cross shrugged. "It's a big city. There'll be jobs for teenagers like you. If an akuma is there, that eye will monitor it and collect data all on its own."

"If I run into any trouble…?"

"…well, that's a bit of a problem, isn't it?" Cross mused. "You could always return here, I guess, though I won't be very pleased if you do…" His smile told Allen that it would be safer for the boy to die painfully than to _consider_ returning before the mission ended. "But you can't go back to the mermaid city. I mean, you _could_, but I don't think they'd welcome you if you arrived before the effects wear off…"

"_Effects_?!" Allen exclaimed. "So there _was_ something you were hiding!"

"Ah, that… you see… it's just a drink, nothing more, that you'll need to take before leaving tomorrow. Tonight, then. It'll only hurt _just a bit_," Cross reassured him, "and only for a few minutes. In a few weeks, you might even forget you've… you'll forget the pain, anyway."

Allen gave him a sceptical look. "Why do I need this, again?"

"So you can live in the city unnoticed, of course."

"Why-"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? The akuma didn't stay in the ocean, of course. The problem is that it found its way onto land – to a human city."

The cavern became silent except for the rush of Timcanpy's wings as it fluttered over to make a nest of Allen's hair. A stunned Allen gaped at Cross, tail tucked underneath his body as he grasped it protectively. Cross merely looked amused, as usual.

"A human city," Allen finally breathed. "In order to stay there, wouldn't I have to-"

"Become a human yourself?" Allen nodded. Cross stroked his stubble thoughtfully. "That's impossible at this point, of course, but that's what the potion is for. I can't make you human, but I _can_ give you legs… and for such a small price you shouldn't even miss it."

Allen's eyes narrowed; of course there would be a price. "You expect me to do a favour for you, and I have to pay to perform it?"

"What, you don't have any money?" Cross gave an exaggerated sigh and set down the scroll. "Can't be helped, I suppose. You'll just have to repay me later. Oh, but there is something else that's… a temporary cost, shall we say. The potion itself isn't without its side effects."

"I really don't think I can trust you," Allen began, but Cross waved for him to be silent, the lace dripping from his sleeves swaying stiffly.

"It's just a small price, this side-effect. Nothing you'll find you need over there, and you'll get it back when the potion wears off in three months' time. You might miss it a bit, but-"

"What is it." Allen looked as if he would jump back into the water and leave if he didn't get an immediate answer.

"Your voice," Cross said quickly. "See? Nothing of great importance. There are plenty of ways to woo a lady into your bed through actions alone – no, should I say, actions are absolutely _necessary_ for it-"

"But this isn't a permanent loss, correct?" Allen interrupted, feeling his cheeks grow warm. What was with this pervert!? "When this mission is complete, I'll be able to speak again, right?"

"That's correct." Allen couldn't help but note the man's lack of enthusiasm for positive things.

"When that happens… I'll…" Something Cross had said earlier only now registered in Allen's mind; the issue of payment had distracted him before. "I'll have _legs?!_"

"Only as long as the effects last," the man explained. "Once your time is up, you'll turn back into a mermaid and it'll be as if nothing had ever happened. If you miss the wealth of the castle and your _family-_" that word was layered with disgust "-then you can return home. You'll have to pay me at some point, of course. However…" He looked at Allen, the sly grin widening. "There is one way in which you won't have to return after your time runs out."

"If I like it up there, you mean?" Normally, the thought wouldn't have even crossed Allen's mind, but the neutrality of humans and their culture was currently far more appealing than returning to life at the castle. Somehow, Allen doubted his indiscretions would be forgotten even if he were to spend years away from it. "But how could I live on land without legs?"

"Oh, you'll have legs. How could you stay without those? The only way to keep them, though, is to make your status permanent. You'd need to _become_ a human."

"I thought you said you couldn't do that," Allen said, frowning.

"I can't. The only way for you to become human is to fall in _love_."

"Just like that?" It seemed too easy, but Allen's voice had a note of hope in it – dashed by Cross's snort of amusement.

"Of course not. Fall in love, marry the girl, and _seal the deal_." At Allen's blank look, he elaborated. "Consummate the relationship. Do the deed." No sign of recognition. "Kid, did no one ever teach you how babies are made?"

Allen was lucky he wasn't underwater at that moment, or else the water around his face would have boiled.

"W-what d-does that h-have to d-do with anything?!" he demanded, blushing. "A-anyway, it wouldn't w-work the same way, would it-"

"Of course it does. You're a mammal, aren't you? Just stick it in, and-"

"I'm not doing _that_!"

"Pity. That's how you become human. I bet you'd be saying otherwise if you met one of their prettiest girls, though. Although seeing what a prude you are… well, marriage is always a possibility, right? Three months is plenty of time to get to know a girl. How old are you again?"

"Regaining my tail will be fine," Allen muttered weakly. "So I have to drink this potion, which will exchange my tail for legs while making me mute – I live in this human city for some time while my eye searches for this 'akuma' – and when the effects fade, I return to the ocean as if nothing had ever happened, except indebted to you?"

"That sounds about right. So?"

Allen took a deep breath. "I'll do it."

Perhaps his hobby didn't have to end with the destruction of his cavern after all…

"Excellent, excellent. I'll prepare the drink." Cross rose – Allen wondered if the long black coat concealed human legs; Cross's race was a puzzle – and made his way to one of the hanging lights. Allen watched carefully as he opened a pair of doors camouflaged in the wall below and pulled out what appeared to be bottles upon bottles filled with a variety of things: a deep purple liquid that sloshed around sloppily; a small blue cube that shone in the lantern-light; a clear, thick, oozing substance… Had Allen not been the mermaid equivalent of a compost bin, he might almost have been sick knowing he had to _drink_ that.

"Pardon," he muttered nervously, "but is all of that really necessary…"

"Absolutely." Cross settled down in his previous position, containers spilling out from his arms and rolling in place around him. "Don't worry; this will only take a minute."

He reached out to press one of the segments of the innermost circle on the floor, and as Allen watched, awestruck, the circle parted to reveal a deep cauldron that slowly rose to settle where the floor had once been. Cross wasted no time in removing the stoppers from the bottles and unceremoniously dumping the contents in.

"I know I'm not the expert," Allen began, "but again, are you _sure_ this is safe?"

"You said it yourself – trust the expert." Cross continued pouring the purple liquid in, giving the cauldron's contents a careful look and a frown afterwards. "Or was this supposed to go in _after_ the gorilla liver…"

Allen swallowed, a feeling of anxiety and pure terror growing rapidly within him. Timcanpy gave the boy an affectionate nuzzle, yet the action only made Allen wonder if he'd really been right to trust the golem after all. What Cross was currently doing was certainly enough to end five years of friendship-

"Done," Cross proclaimed, settling back proudly. "Just enough for one drink."

If the smell rising from the cauldron was any indication, drinking the contents might just end up making this day – no, this _moment_ – the worst of Allen's life, if it didn't end altogether. Right now, he was seriously considering making his way among humans with a tail instead.

"Is it… _really_ necessary?" Allen asked, face strangely pale.

Cross nodded. "Oh," he added, "before you drink that, you need to sign the contract. In case of accidents or something. You wouldn't want me taking responsibility for it, after all, would you?" He picked up the scroll of paper, clearing bottles away from where they'd fallen on top, and handed it to Allen along with a pen that emerged from his sleeve. "Just sign your name at the bottom."

Allen took the pen, and had just touched it to the paper when a thought struck him: "What do _you_ get out of this, if I might ask? How will retrieving data on this akuma help _you_?"

"How kind of you to think of me! I don't get a thing out of it, though." Cross gave Allen an obviously fake smile. "I simply enjoy helping poor, unfortunate souls like yourself. With these potion-making talents I was blessed with, who wouldn't? And, of course, there is that teeny-tiny issue of payment-"

Allen nearly groaned; he'd forgotten about that. "You don't, by any chance, charge interest…"

"Of course not! I may require your help for other tasks once in a while that you'll owe me for because of it, but a man like me would never _dream_ of such a thing."

It probably wouldn't be the best time, Allen decided, to point out the clause discussing "interest rates of 10 per month" in the contract.

Deciding that he'd had enough trauma for one day, Allen focused his vision on the empty space at the bottom of the contract. _Once I sign this,_ he thought, _I can't take it back. I won't be able to return to my family… to my home… I won't have a tail anymore… It's only for three months, but if I ever have regrets-_

_But do I really want to see the Earl again, after knowing what he did to Mana?_

Allen shut his eyes tightly and signed his name at the bottom of the scroll as Cross watched with a satisfied smile.

"Then I'll just take that-" he reached out with one hand to pluck the scroll and pen out of Allen's hands and replaced them with a bottle filled to the brim with the foul-smelling concoction. "Drink up. Any last words?"

Allen cringed at the smell. "I-if I… by any chance… do become human, I'll be able to speak, right?"

"Ha! I knew you'd consider it. Of course you'll get your voice back; it's only temporary. Three months, no matter what happens to you in the end."

"And I absolutely need to drink this?"

"Yep."

"Timcanpy…" The golem rose and flew down to hover in front of Allen's face. "I hope you're right about trusting Cross," he muttered.

Timcanpy chomped on his nose in response, making Allen yelp with pain.

"Okay! I get it!" Tim released his bite, and Allen rubbed the injured appendage tenderly. "Thank you, though. For being my friend."

"Hey, that potion won't stay fresh forever," Cross grumbled. "Take it to bed tonight if you're so intent on the mushy talk. Drink."

It took Allen a few moments to muster up the courage to do so. Gloves stretched across his tense fingers, he gulped nervously as the bottle neared his lips. _Pretend the taste isn't there. Pretend it's mitarashi dango in liquid form. _Allen silently prayed for his continued life and health after this, and, in one swallow, drained the bottle.

The pain was immediate. The liquid stung with piercing cold where it travelled down his throat, leaving a burning sensation throughout his body. Moments later, it became sharp pain. The bottle fell from Allen's hand, shattering, as he collapsed face-down to the floor in convulsions of agony. Sweat beaded on his forehead; his breath became sharp gasps of air whenever the muscles in his chest could loosen enough to contract. The worst part of it was in his tail, though. It was as if someone had taken a sharp knife and split it open all the way up to his hips. Allen was sure that if he could raise his head enough to look behind him, the stone floor would be covered in his blood.

"Fascinating," Cross murmured, calmly watching the scene. Allen shot him a fierce glare of hatred in a brief moment of strength; how could the man have such little empathy? A merboy was practically _dying_ in front of him!

The worst was yet to come, though. No sooner had he begun to feel as if the innards of his tail were being exposed than something _shifted_. Allen barely stifled a cry as the muscles and bones that enabled movement from the waist-down began to rearrange themselves: growing, shrinking, or merely exchanging positions in quick, painful, continuous movements. No sooner had the motion died down than the metaphorical knife in his tail forced the two halves apart. Allen clung to the grooves in the stone floor as this occurred, biting his lip to keep his yelps and sobs of pain from escaping. He wouldn't let Cross hear him suffer! Yet at the final connection of bones to one another, to the rest of his body, Allen could taste blood in his mouth.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the pain subsided, leaving him feeling oddly numb. Allen barely registered the coldness of the stone coming into contact with his bare skin, or the sharp taste of metallic blood replacing the foul potion on his tongue. He glanced up weakly at the thoroughly satisfied Cross.

_What now_- He opened his mouth to ask the question, yet only a gasp of air emerged. Allen blinked, startled. Had he been too distracted with the pain to notice this loss?

"It seems the experiment was a success," Cross breathed, sighing in relief. "Well then, I'll just go find you a pair of pants, shall I-"

Allen's hand shot out to grasp the black coat. Cross didn't turn around, although he was aware of the boy's eyes burning a hole in his back.

_What do you mean, _experiment!?

"You need trousers. I only like my women unclothed," Cross murmured, prying Allen's hand away and shuffling up the stairs quickly. Allen couldn't help but suspect he was also trying to avoid the inevitable question he'd invited with that comment.

A rush of gold in front of his eyes alerted Allen to the fact that Timcanpy had plonked itself down on the floor in front of him. Slight bounces and twitching wings betrayed the golem's curiosity. Had Allen not been concerned about modesty at the moment – not that there was anyone to see him, but it was nevertheless embarrassing; at least everything had been covered with a tail! – he probably would have felt no hesitation at turning his head and seeing the changes for himself. Nothing _felt_ all that unusual, yet…

"Here." Allen was snapped out of his thoughts when a pile of black clothing was unceremoniously dumped on his head. "Cover yourself." Cross gave him a disgusted look and turned away.

Allen mouthed a 'thanks' and pulled himself into a sitting position, knees bent in front of him as if they were still one body part. As he pulled the clothing off of his head, though, Allen noticed something unusual-

"_What_- Stop tugging at my coat; you don't need to," Cross grumbled. "What is it now?"

Allen grabbed an article in each hand and held them to either side of Cross's head.

"Oh, right. The short ones go on first – tag in the back."

Allen didn't move. Cross sighed, irritated.

"One leg goes through each hole. If you have trouble moving them, just slide them over and up."

There was a sound of shuffling clothing behind him. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Allen finally managed to put on both articles properly. Although the buttons at the top proved to be no problem, Allen was left with yet another strange piece of clothing. He shuffled forward a little and tapped Cross on the shoulder, holding the length of material in the other hand.

"Oh for the love of- what _now_?" Cross snapped. "This is pushing the limits of stupidity."

Allen waved the material in his face.

"It's a belt. Know what that is?"

Allen shook his head.

"You _seriously_- Fine, come here." He motioned for Allen to kneel – another familiar motion, although made slightly more difficult by involving two separate limbs – and raised the boy's arms. In a few quick motions, while grumbling about how he wished this were a woman instead, Cross threaded the belt through Allen's pants and left it hanging in the middle.

Allen looked at him innocently.

"Even a monkey could do that up," Cross said flatly.

He was greeted with a scowl, although Allen's gloved hands quickly moved to the buckle.

"Got that? Those are the only pair of trousers I had that'd fit a kid like you. Last guy, er, well, he didn't leave any behind. Intact. So what are you waiting for? Get up if you want any sleep in a bed tonight."

Allen leaned so far away from Cross he fell backwards, cringing as his bottom hit the floor.

"Like I'd give mine up to you – or, worse, _share_ it." Cross gave him a disgusted look. "Only if you grew a pair of nice breasts and lost that _thing_. Now that I mention it, I do have a recipe for that sort of thing… Hey!" Cross barked. Allen froze; he'd been making a mad dash – crawl, rather – for the pool of water. "It's a spare bed. Now get up."

Timcanpy nudged Allen's back. Allen alternated his quizzical looks between the pair.

Cross smacked his head into the palm of his gloved hand, exasperated. "Bend your knees – those things that make your legs bend, what kind of education did they give you? Push yourself forward and off the ground."

This attempt led to a spectacular, painful-looking fall.

"You know," Cross muttered sarcastically, "you might consider keeping your legs farther apart next time – not _that_ far apart, you fool. And keep your feet- those things at the bottom of your legs, you idiot! You stand on _those_."

After a few more desperate attempts, Allen finally managed to stay upright, albeit wobbling so dangerously he was nearly horizontal most of the time. He looked up at Cross hopefully.

"My, aren't you short." The red-haired man frowned, stroking his stubble thoughtfully. "I should probably have given you a dress instead, after all. Well, can't be helped. A man, even a potential man like you, should dress like one. Come along."

As Cross turned to face the stairs, he heard a crash behind him; moving had evidently been beyond Allen's current abilities. He groaned.

"Kid, you've seen how humans walk, right? Bend one knee, put your foot forward. Hold onto the wall if you need to – I'm heading up the stairs now. Can't take any more of this."

Allen felt very tempted to stick his tongue out at the disappearing back. The impoliteness of the action (not Allen's maturity level) prevented him from doing so, but the scowl on his face showed no less frustration. How on earth did Cross expect him to be able to walk effortlessly? He'd spent fifteen years with a tail! He'd never even _seen_ a human walk… or paid attention to it, at least. Simply listening to vague instructions could never teach him a task so late in life.

It was therefore hours later when Allen finally emerged from the stone staircase, worn out and sore from his falls, into what seemed to be a finely furnished study. The mahogany furniture was elegantly carved and lavishly decorated; assorted relics and souvenirs from around the world were perched on full bookshelves, or the magnificent desk that stood in front of him. The floor was covered in a deep red carpet, and above him hung a crystalline chandelier. Had Allen even known of these land-based materials and creations, though, he would not have noticed; his attention was on the man sitting calmly behind the desk – or in front, rather; Allen had emerged at the back of the room – and reading a thick book with faded yellow pages.

_You--!!_ Allen's mouth opened and closed angrily, although no sound emerged.

"I see you made it up here. Congratulations." Cross snapped the book shut and tossed it carelessly on the desk, then stood up. "To celebrate, I'll ensure that you won't have to work so hard again, and give you a room on the ground floor."

Allen didn't move. He gave Cross a suspicious look

"Of course," Cross added, "that _is_ where the servants tend to sleep. But that's no problem, right?"

Allen didn't even twitch.

"Right, you're a prince, aren't you. Might as well start early, though; unless you somehow manage to befriend the king and live a life of luxury… no, but you're a boy, so it's beyond your power to- oh _fine_." Cross made an exaggerated display of throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You'll get a nice room. There's one on the third floor."

Had Cross not made him leave the room first in case he took another hour to be steady on his feet, Allen might have sat down right there and cried at the thought of walking up _three_ more flights of stairs.

Fortunately, the rest of the marvellous mansion Cross inhabited, not to mention the wonderfully soft bed at the end of it, distracted him from the soreness of his bare feet (and clothed bottom. Why couldn't there have been a thick carpet down there, Allen thought). The entire mansion, from floor to ceiling, was decorated with expensive woods and fabrics in rich colours, and filled with costly artefacts. Even the room he was given, filled with just the bare necessities of a bedroom, had a warm cream-coloured carpet with a colour scheme, from curtains to bedcovers, of blue and gold. Had Allen not been bone-weary at this point he almost certainly would have been amazed at the luxury wasted on such a… such a… perverted magician. The Earl's castle was like a stark, unfurnished hut by comparison.

Allen flopped down on the bed fully clothed (having nothing to change into) and breathed a long, content sigh. Timcanpy followed his head, curling up on one of the pillows at the head of the bed. A part of Allen thought that it would be the appropriate time to say something – anything – maybe a message to Mana, or… But it would be nothing more than a thought, wouldn't it, without any sound behind it. The action would be pointless.

So, with a bit of a frown at the negative thought, Allen slid under the layers of covers and pulled them up to his chin. His head had only just touched the pillow when he fell fast asleep, exhausted from the long day.

* * *

Allen awoke the next morning to find the curtains spread, revealing Cross standing over his bed while holding a hammer above Allen's face.

"Ah, I see you've awoken," the man said, a hint of displeasure in his voice. Allen blinked the sleep out of his eyes, then did a double-take; had Cross actually wanted to wake him up by whacking the poor boy on the head?! When he was asleep, no less?! "Come on. You've slept long enough, and it's time to leave."

Allen nodded, pulling back the blankets regretfully as Timcanpy spiralled off the pillow and into the air next to him. Even without the unmatchable comfort a bed provided to someone as tired as Allen had been, it had really been a soft bed indeed. Such a thing would never have been wasted on royalty back-

"Here." Cross interrupted the harmful train of thought by tossing a pair of black boots, knee-high and with the tops curved down, onto the floor in front of him. "Even I wouldn't make a boy run around in bare feet like that… not when you could step on a nail and hurt yourself…"

_He actually cares?_ Allen thought in disbelief. Maybe Cross wasn't so bad after all-

"-and die before you ever see that akuma."

…_nope,_ Allen finished. _Definitely an evil person._

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, still in one motion as if they were a tail, and reached down to hesitantly pick up a boot. When Allen made no move to pull it on, Cross rolled his eyes and took it.

"This one's… for the left foot. That one's for the right. Wait-" He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a ball of white material, tossing it at Allen. The boy caught it in mid-air, eliciting a grunt from Cross. "Socks. Put 'em on over your feet first, then the boots."

Allen undid the ball and removed one sock, still staring at them quizzically.

"Is it really so difficult for your small mind to comprehend? Look at the shape! Similar to a foot, isn't it?"

_Your sarcasm isn't helping me_, Allen mouthed, giving Cross a dirty look. Now that he considered it, though, it _did_ kind of look like a foot… After a few minutes of holding it next to a foot on both sides, then from the top, Allen slowly slid the sock over his bare foot.

Cross clapped.

Allen mouthed a curse and pulled the other one on hastily.

"Remember," Cross called, "the boots go on specific feet. Need me to remind you what side is your left again?"

One boot already in his hand, Allen paused, then nodded slowly. He thought he still remembered, but what if the business with the socks had-

"This," Cross said, leaning over to touch Allen's left shoulder, "is your _left_ side. And _this_-"

Allen attempted to hit him with the boot, but Cross was too quick; he ducked away from the swing and made his way to his original position, chuckling. "My, you're a fast learner."

This time, Allen didn't just stop at swatting the boot in the air. Fortunately for Cross's face, he moved quickly enough so the door was shutting behind him as the boot hit it.

"You'll need to walk over there and pick it up yourself," came the disembodied voice from behind the door. "Get downstairs when you're done. I'm kicking you out as soon as you eat."

At the mention of 'eating', Allen couldn't help but grin, and not in a pleasant way. He wondered if Cross had any knowledge of his appetite…

Sadly, preparations had been made for even the worst-case scenario: Allen was told to 'eat up' so that he didn't collapse before making it to the city. Apparently, there was a truly endless supply of food. Sitting in a high-backed chair at one end of a long table – Cross was at the other end, picking delicately at his breakfast – Allen gaped at the many platters of exotic foods. Exotic to a mermaid, at least; humans would have found everything quite ordinary.

_I'm curious_, he mouthed, tapping his glass of milk with a fork to get Cross's attention. _Who prepares all of this? It's-_ Allen wanted to say 'delicious', but if it involved praising Cross, he'd rather tell an outright lie.

"Who knows?" Cross shrugged deviously. "Perhaps it's magic. Or perhaps I have a thousand beautiful young voluptuous maids in miniskirts working in the kitchens all day."

_I wouldn't put it past you to have the latter_, Allen thought, stuffing a forkful of scrambled egg into his scowling face, _even if involves creating them with magic_.

"So everything's clear?" Cross shot him a look that promised Allen would never crawl out from under the rock he'd be crushed under if Allen had any reservations. Egg-filled fork halfway to his open mouth, Allen nodded stiffly. "Excellent."

_I think everything is all right, at least…_

By the time Allen got up from the table, completely full from the tasty breakfast, it was nearly mid-day, and Cross wasted no time mumbling curses, threats, and complaints under his breath about the fact. Allen was rushed through the magnificent corridors and entrance hall and pulled through a set of tall bronze doors that could have rivalled the library's for size. By now, Allen was able to walk at a decent pace with minimal wavering, although even the most casual observer would have noticed the lack of certainty in each step. Yet that wasn't the only thing-

"What's taking you so long," Cross grumbled, spinning around to face the boy. The mansion was situated on a fair-sized island, with a golden beach stretching around the coastline ahead of it, and a small forest behind. Faraway fields were visible even from such a low point; evidently, some fresh food was produced on the island. It was too isolated to easily trade with the mainland. "Can't you hurry up at all?"

Allen nodded half-heartedly and attempted to increase his pace. Only a well-placed rock sticking out of the ground prevented him from falling flat on his face yet again.

"Honestly. You haven't even learned how to walk properly after all this time? Get over here."

_He must be serious_, Allen realized when Cross actually stood in place to wait for him. Once he'd caught up, though, Cross shoved him down onto yet another convenient, flattened rock and glared down at him.

"If there's a problem with my creation," Cross said menacingly, "someone had better let me know."

Allen shook his head and waved his hands in an 'don't bother' gesture. _Everything's fine_, he explained. _I'm not used to it._

"Really? Get up, then." This time, Cross noticed a tiny flinch as Allen began to stand. The boy found himself yet again pushed down onto the rock by a strong hand on his shoulder. "How could you get a rock in your boot so quickly? No, at all? Unless you're a complete moron-"

Allen didn't even have time to react before Cross leaned down, pulled off his left boot, and swiftly poked the underside of his foot. He jumped, gasping in pain.

"_Fuck_-" Cross straightened and gave Allen a glare as the boy quickly tugged the boot over his foot again, wincing. "You idiot! You thought you didn't need to tell me about such a thing?"

_It's nothing, really- OW!_

Cross had smacked him across the head. Allen muttered silent curses under his breath.

"If it hurts every time you put your foot down, then fucking tell me! You think I want all my ladies unable to walk if I use that on them? Half the positions would hurt them!"

_S-so… it's… a prototype…_ Allen stared at Cross in disbelief. _You've got to be joking. This wasn't even complete, and you fed it to me?!_

"No way," Cross muttered. "Well, get up. Nothing I can do about it now. Pain will probably be gone in three months, anyway. Maybe you'll get used to it before then." He shuffled away to the edge of the sandy beach, motioning for Allen to follow.

The pair stood there at the edge of the ocean for a moment, staring into its depths. Allen finally looked up at Cross blankly: What now?

Cross pointed to something far away; Allen followed his hand to see what it was, and-

SPLASH.

Allen rose up on his hands and knees in the wet sand, soaking wet, and gave Cross a murderous look.

"What?" the man asked, calmly taking out a cigarette from a pocket and lighting it. "How'd you think you were gonna get to the city? Wait for a boat to come out here?"

The boy shook his head, sending droplets of water flying, and began to rise when he felt something poke his ribs. He fell backwards into the ocean, becoming completely submerged where the land below dropped off sharply.

When Allen's head broke through the ocean surface again, the first thing he saw was a completely calm Cross, smoking the cigarette as if he hadn't just kicked a teenage boy into a deep pool of water.

_You--!!_

"Hm? Oh, you're still here?" Cross made a flicking motion with his free hand. "Go on. Complete your mission."

_I could have-!_

"Honestly, what are you so angry about, anyway?" Cross muttered. "Water's a mermaid's natural habitat, isn't it? Did you become so accustomed to land after one night out of the ocean?"

_I can't-_ Allen struggled to keep above the ocean surface, arms flailing wildly. _I'm not-_

"Did you forget?" Cross drawled, looking terribly amused at the situation. "You may have legs, but you're still a mermaid, boy. You don't have cuts in the sides of your neck for nothing."

Allen paused, pulled off a glove, and hesitantly touched one side of his neck. The gills were still there.

"Idiot. You can't drown, no matter how much you try." Cross grinned at him. "If you start swimming now, you should reach the city before the evening. Timcanpy can guide you."

At the mention of its name, the golden golem flew from where it had been hovering by Cross's shoulder down to Allen's level. Cross waved at the pair and turned away, calling over his shoulder as he made his way back to the mansion,

"Use your legs! If you learn how to kick now, it'll help you walk later, kid!"

_What a strange, perverted, mean man_, Allen thought. _Curious._

Timcanpy flew ahead, and Allen, splashing along behind him with a surprising lack of dexterity for his species, slowly followed. Allen didn't bother even giving the mansion one last look; he never hoped to return there. Perhaps Cross would forget the debt.

Right now, he had to find the new place he could soon call home.

* * *

Cross hadn't lied about the distance; the sun was still high in the sky by the time Allen crawled onto a sunny, shell-filled beach, almost as weary as he had been the night before. He pulled himself forward, just out of reach of the water's lapping edge, and collapsed on his back with a relieved sigh. Timcanpy settled on a bent knee, wings folding neatly, and Allen enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his face for a few minutes.

_It's nice,_ he thought, an equally warm and fuzzy feeling spreading throughout his body at the happy thought. _I would never have had a chance to experience this otherwise. Are humans allowed to feel this every day?_

He covered his eyes with an arm as he let the sun's rays sink in, drying his wet, clinging clothes. The sand did not make for a particularly comfortable pillow, but it was certainly an improvement over a cold stone floor. It had taken plenty of work to swim all the way to this beach – it was farther than his previous journey to land! – but after a good night's rest, Allen was left with only the positive feeling that came from hard work.

He'd made it. He was really here, ready to live among humans for three months. The excitement made the hairs on his arms tingle – another new feeling. Allen couldn't help but grin just thinking about it all. Even the tiniest new experience was welcome.

Allen closed his eyes and let the sounds and smells of the ocean fill his ears. The faint crashing of the waves… the cries of some animal above… the salty tang mixed with warm sand… and, off in the distance, a faint padding noise that was slowly coming closer…

"Lavi! There's a dead body down there!"

Allen froze. Humans?! What if they-

"Ahhh, a corpse? I'm not going near that thing!"

…thought he was dead…

"We can't just let it lie there! What if it was murdered?! The criminal would get away with it!"

"Then go tell the police about it! They'll listen to you!"

…and intentionally killed, at that? Allen felt more than a little irritated; couldn't they see that he was just an ordinary merboy enjoying some time at the beach? No need to disturb-

"…I suppose it could have drowned… and just taken a while to wash up on the shores…"

…really, this was ridiculous! Mermaids couldn't drown!

Oh, but he had legs now, didn't he? If only he could yell at them to leave him alone… No, if only it had been in his personality to do so. Even if Allen had had a voice, he would probably have remained there, unmoving, until someone really did come to… well, poke him or something.

"Then go down and see for yourself! I told you, I'm not going near something decomposing!"

Lavi sounds like a six-year-old, Allen thought, except with a deeper voice. Although now that he considered it, Allen wondered if he himself would have done the same had he and Timcanpy discovered a mysterious body. What if it cursed him?

"Fine! I will! You'll have to find someone to carry it to the morgue, though!"

The first speaker's voice sounded strangely familiar. He couldn't possibly have met her before, but-

"Got it!" The footsteps increased in speed; Lavi must have taken off at a run. The girl's movements were softer and slower, and Allen didn't notice her arrival until a dark shadow passed above his eyelids and something touched his shoulder gently.

"Excuse me…" The pressure on his shoulder flattened, and began to shake him – ah, it was a hand. "Excuse me, sir, are you all right? Do you need help?" There was a bemused sigh, and the girl began to speak to herself. "Is he deaf, I wonder? Such things happen with age…"

Allen's eyes flew open and nearly popped out altogether. She thought he was an old man?! Of course, he did have his face covered, and no exposed, unwrinkled skin… and with the white hair…

…and old men had annoying tendencies to fall asleep in annoying places such as this where people would assume they had died…

There was a thump beside him, and both hands were suddenly pressed to Allen's torso.

"I don't understand," she murmured. "He's breathing, but…"

One hand trailed up to take hold of his arm, lightly brushing Allen's cheek by accident.

"This…"

She lowered the arm as she leaned closer to Allen's face, just a few centimetres separating them-

_No. No way._

Allen suddenly realized why her voice was familiar.

_Lenalee?!_

Evidently, she hadn't forgotten him, either. The moment Allen's incredulous look registered in her mind, Lenalee dropped his arm and pulled back sharply. "You-"

_Hi again_, he mouthed, grinning weakly.

"You…" Lenalee turned to look at his legs, then at his face again. "What…" Legs, then face. "Weren't you…"

Allen nodded.

"Why…" Lenalee shook her head and pulled back into a crouching position, arms crossed over bare knees. Her short white dress was stretched tightly over her thighs, although it would undoubtedly cover much more if she stood. Allen wondered momentarily if it wouldn't be a little cold; it _was_ spring, after all, and even with most of her legs covered there couldn't have been anything under-

For some reason, Allen suspected that was not a thought he should be having. Therefore, ever the gentleman, Allen easily pushed the thought out of his mind and attempted to answer Lenalee's question. _I'm just here as a favour for someone else. I-_

Lenalee waved for him to be silent, or to stop attempting conversation, at least. "Couldn't you speak before?" she murmured, worried. One hand reached out to stroke his throat gently. "Did something happen to you?"

Those gentle violet eyes looked at Allen with such concern that he found himself struggling to think of an answer. _I'm fine_, he finally decided to say. _It's related to…_ Allen nodded towards his legs and gave her a reassuring smile. When she returned it, relieved, he couldn't help but wonder why his heart started beating faster as a result. Hadn't he just alleviated a source of stress?

"You're really all right, then?" Allen answered with a quick nod. "That's a relief. I'm sorry for being so- I'm just- _pardon me_, I'm a bit surprised to see you here in such a condition."

_How have you been?_ Allen attempted to ask, moving into a sitting position. Lenalee had made no attempt to leave; perhaps she was still waiting for her companion – Lavi – to return with someone to… to… At the moment, he suddenly felt very relieved to have legs.

"How have I…? Oh, things have been… good, of course. Definitely good." Lenalee's smile seemed a bit forced, though, and Allen wondered why she'd needed to pause before answering. He was about to ask what was wrong, hoping Lenalee would give him a straight answer, when he remembered the situation.

He'd met her a week ago. He'd saved her from a sinking ship. If no one else had escaped-

"N-no, really," Lenalee assured him quickly, noticing the realization in his eyes. "There were other survivors, too. I'm really grateful to you for saving me."

Ah… that had been it, after all. Yet if there had been 'other' survivors…

_Not all, right?_

One of Lenalee's hands dropped from where they had been folded in her lap, and touched his gloved one gently. "…No. Things are okay now, though! I-it's been a week, after all, and…"

Allen dropped his gaze to the sand. _If I had done more…_

It had just been a thought – he hadn't even moved his lips – but Lenalee seemed to understand what he was thinking. "Don't think that!" She shook her head furiously, and her grip tightened around his hand. "You already did more than you should have-"

He gave her an incredulous look.

"I mean… you didn't _have_ to save me…" Her voice faltered. "I'm a stranger, and of a different species…"

_You saved me too, though_. He wouldn't actually have died, but Lenalee hadn't known that at the time.

"Even so…" Lenalee's smile was genuine this time. "Again, thank you."

_She really is cute…_

"Oi! Lenalee! I brought help!"

"Ah- Lavi?" Lenalee spun around, and Allen followed her gaze; the young man had appeared at the top of the slight hill of the beach. "It's all right; he wasn't dead after all! Here," she added to Allen, standing up with his hand still in hers. "I'll have to introduce you."

_Wait!_ She frowned at him, confused. Allen struggled to pull himself into a standing position too with only one hand, and found himself briefly surprised at the height difference. She was nearly as tall as he was! Not that Allen would ever be considered _average_, let alone tall, but… _Please don't… Not as… _He gestured to his legs with his free hand. _Please don't tell them!_

"Of course," Lenalee agreed, nodding. "You're just someone I met not too long ago who saved my life once before. Is that all right?"

Allen breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank you, Lenalee._

"You're wel- Ah!" She clapped a hand to her mouth in surprise. "I don't know your name yet! I can't properly introduce you without…"

Of course; why hadn't he told her his name by now? There was really no reason she didn't need to know, and she _had_ told him her own when they'd first met. _My name is Allen. Allen_, he repeated at her blank look.

"A… Allen? All right, Allen-kun, isn't it?" She beamed at him, then turned to face the approaching visitors. "Ah, he brought Kanda… of all the people…"

"Lenalee!" The red-haired Lavi ran down to meet the pair, leaving his unhurried companion still at the top of the hill. "It wasn't a corpse after all? Ahhh, that's such a relief!" He grinned at Allen. "So who's this?"

"Oh, this is a new friend, Allen-kun. He stopped a little boy who stole my wallet in the streets last week," Lenalee explained. "Allen-kun, Lavi's one of my childhood friends. He's a historian."

"Nice to meet you," Lavi said as Allen mouthed the words. Lavi's smile faded slightly when he noticed Allen's hand entangled with Lenalee's; Allen removed it in order to shake hands. Was it just him, or was there a hint of unfriendliness in the older boy's green eye?

The look disappeared almost immediately, though. "Good to see you're not a corpse. One of those old men on the beach who come to die and have a heart attack or something, you know… Can't help but worry that it'll be the old man next. Sure, he's like this _now_, but…" Lavi made an exaggerated wary face, eyebrows raised comically. "That old rabbit likes pudding…"

"Don't be silly, Lavi," Lenalee told him, smacking him playfully. "Bookman would be healthy for man of any age. Bookman is Lavi's teacher," she explained to Allen. "He's a bit… old, but he's very knowledgeable, and disciplined."

Lavi chuckled. "Old man has me working at night sometimes- aww, not like _that_!"

Allen and Lenalee exchanged confused glances. Lavi merely burst into raucous laughter.

"Oh!" Lenalee suddenly exclaimed. The other human had suddenly appeared behind Lavi. "I'm sorry for bringing you out here, Kanda. There wasn't a dead body, after all."

"Che." Kanda frowned at Allen. "What's this?"

_What_- A muscle twitched in the corner of Allen's eye. He was an 'it' now?

"Kanda, this is Allen-kun, a new friend of mine. Allen-kun, Kanda is another childhood friend; I've known him ever since I was eight. He's visiting from a nearby country."

"He's a _prince_," Lavi added, grinning at the dark-haired boy. "That's why Yuu-kun can sometimes be a bit of a grumpypants-"

"_Don't fucking call me that, you_-"

"Kanda!" Lenalee glared at him. Kanda humphed and turned away with a scowl.

_Nice to meet you_, Allen mouthed quickly, attempting to change the mood. Kanda gave his outstretched hand a dirty look and uttered a soft 'che'.

_W-what's with this guy? _Allen's hand retreated to his side and clenched into a fist. _He's so rude…_

"Sorry, Allen-kun," Lenalee murmured apologetically. "Kanda's probably just in a bad mood from when Lavi called him by his first name. He doesn't really like that."

_I… see…_ Allen suspected that the list of Things That Kanda Didn't Like was very long indeed, and that he now had a place on that list. _I'll have to remember that…_

"What's up with this beansprout?" Kanda gave him a narrow glare. "Doesn't feel like talking?"

_Beanspr--!! That bastard!_ Allen was definitely starting to dislike Kanda.

"Yeah," Lavi mused. "Is he mute or something?"

Allen nodded weakly. Even if they'd ignored his hair and scar, he still managed to draw unwanted attention…

"Che. Pathetic beansprout."

The temptation to punch Kanda in the face was rising. Allen needed to distract himself, and fast. _Lenalee?_ He tugged on her sleeve gently. _I really should be leaving now…_

"You… you do?" Lenalee struggled to understand his silent words. "Oh, you already have a place to stay, then?"

Was it just him, or did she look almost disappointed? Allen's wandering gaze, however, as he tried to think of a response that would be honest yet not obligate Lenalee to act, told her all she needed to know.

"You can stay with us, Allen-kun! There's plenty of room; I'm sure it'll be all right."

"Yeah, of course!" Lavi said enthusiastically, clapping Allen on the back. "Always good to have one more person around, 'specially someone our age."

Wait… had Lavi just implied that he and Lenalee were _living together_?

Lenalee nodded in agreement. "You don't mind helping out a little with… things, though, do you? It's all right if you don't want to, though."

_No, it's fine!_ Allen told them. _I'd love to help._ After all, he really couldn't just leech off their food and shelter, now, could he? That bastard Cross might, but the thought of taking advantage of such kind people felt completely wrong to Allen.

"Che." Oh… there was Kanda, too. Then again, he was just a visitor to this country. Allen wondered if _Kanda_ did any chores; being a prince was no excuse for laziness!

"Then it's settled. You'll come to stay with us for… um…" Allen held up three fingers. "Three… _months_ – are you sure, Allen-kun? We don't mind having you stay for longer – well, if you insist; I suppose if you have other obligations… You don't think my brother will mind, right?" she asked the two older boys?

Lavi's smile faltered. "Another male? …I'm sure he'll be fine with it if _you_ ask, Lenalee…"

"He will. I'm sure of it. Allen-kun?"

Allen nodded. Lenalee smiled back at him and set off up the hill, following Kanda and Lavi. Before he joined them, though, Allen spared one last look behind him, the first in a long time. He was leaving the ocean now to live in a city, and even if the body of water was close by, it wasn't the same. The ocean wasn't just his home; it was his birthplace, his environment, the source of all his memories, favourite and otherwise. It was – no, had been – his life.

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee called to him. "Is everything all right?"

_Yes_. Allen turned away from the seascape and made his way up the hill.

_Things will__ be all right, Lenalee. I think._

* * *

18,957 words, according to this site. This is more than twice the size of the longest chapter I have _ever_ written. Yes, I did consider breaking it up, but I couldn't divide it evenly, and, well, if you read this far, I'm amazed.

Yeah, so… please, please review. I like constructive criticism. Heck, I like any opinions about this story whatsoever. Way too long for you to take in? Great. Too descriptive? Okay! You liked it and want to read more? Wonderful! Really, I just want to hear your opinions. I like the attention. I like reviews.

Yes, I'm very sorry for the length of this chapter AGAIN. I hope it won't happen again. I hope.

(By the way: The average novel is about 80,000 to 120,000 words. Puts it in perspective, huh?)


	4. Chapter 3

The Clownfish

Disclaimer: Timcanpy is God. That is all.

Remember how I said this chapter wouldn't be as long as the last one? Yeah… Sorry… It's _longer_...

* * *

Chapter 3: Kiss the Girl!

"No."

"_Please_, brother…"

"No! No way!"

"Brother, I've never wanted anything in my life as much as this…"

"I said no, and that's that!"

Lenalee gave an exasperated sigh. Komui was never so difficult to deal with! Ever since she was a little girl, anything she wanted was only a request away. Even when the desired outcome was one she normally would never have been afforded in any other family, like an extra cookie at lunch or a particularly expensive toy, a simple plea and the merest hint that tears were about to be shed were enough to cause Komui's compliance. She was by no means spoiled; Lenalee had an excellent view of what was appropriate, and what would have relatively few consequences (she could handle the extra weight from the cookie, for example). In this particular case, what could possibly be a problem?

Yet Komui was actually resisting!

It was time to turn on the charm she'd perfected years ago. "Komui-niisan," she said softly, turning her eyes meekly to the floor, "is it really such a horrible thing? I'm sorry to be unaware of the consequences…"

"Lenalee…" Ah, his voice had grown softer. "It probably won't destroy the kingdom, but…"

"…but perhaps the castle, right?" she continued, giving a quiet sob.

"Yes. Definitely."

Lenalee almost cursed under her breath; it was an unladylike thing to do, but Komui's affirmation puzzled her. Why would it destroy the castle?

"After all," Komui explained, spreading his hands as if he had no say in the matter, "who can foresee the possible reactions to such an event? Why, if Komrin happened to misinterpret something it stumbled across…"

"But on its own, everything will be all right, won't it?" Lenalee's violet eyes were filled with tears, only some of them intentional. "Brother," she begged, hands clasped in front of her, "I promise nothing will happen. It's only for a few months, and we have the accommodations…"

"You _know_ it goes against everything I stand for, Lenalee…" Was that a hint of weakness in his voice?! Lenalee quickly continued her barrage of emotion-inducing behaviour.

"Kanda and Lavi will be there," she pleaded, the first few tears creating dark trails down her cheeks. "Brother, _please_…"

"_Lenalee_…" Komui sniffled, his own eyes watery. "LENALEE!"

With a wail, he launched himself forward off his throne and wrapped his arms tightly around the crying girl.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Have anything you want, my dear, precious sister! Don't cry! D-don't…" He promptly began to bawl into her shoulder.

Lenalee patted her brother's back awkwardly. "T-thank you, brother," she breathed, hiccupping noisily. She'd learned early on that the fake tears should not stop once one has received her heart's desire. Komui was not _that_ blind to her tactics. "Thank you so much… I can't express how grateful I am to you."

"Just be happy, Lenalee!" Komui howled.

Near the door, Allen watched the scene in shock and disbelief. At those last words, he immediately scribbled some words onto a pad of paper – Lavi had given him both once they'd entered the castle – and turned to the red-haired boy.

_Is this normal?!_ the note read.

"Hm…" Lavi scanned the message quickly, glanced over to the crying siblings, and nodded. "Yup. Komui's very emotional when it comes to his sister. He'd do anything for her."

_I see…_ Allen thought briefly of his own family; most of them would be more likely to cry if anything went _well_ for the merboy. Certainly, he'd never receive any favours from them for less than a very serious payment, which is why Allen had learned to never rely on them – or on anyone unless he had the upper hand. His money, his time, his sense of dignity: they were all commodities too precious to hand over to another Noah under any circumstances. Not that he'd trust anyone except Timcanpy, and _perhaps_ his newfound human friends, but Noah, himself included, were particularly ruthless.

"Thank you," Lenalee whispered one last time, then pried herself out of Komui's arms and stood, brushing nonexistent dirt from her light-coloured clothing. "I promise, _promise_ nothing bad will happen."

"I trust you, Lenalee." Komui gave one last sob before magically producing a handkerchief from his sleeve. As he made his way back to the throne, wiping his eyes and occasionally even blowing his nose, Lenalee turned back to the trio of boys with a triumphant smile.

_Okay!_ she mouthed, giving a thumbs-up gesture. Allen exhaled, relieved.

_Everything?_ Lavi looked cautious, and was that just a hint of stiffness Allen caught in his expression? The new arrangement didn't involve some sort of inconvenience to him, did it?

_Yup._ Lenalee nodded cheerfully and glanced over her shoulder at her brother, who had settled back in his original position looking more dignified and kingly than anyone Allen had ever seen. Even the Earl looked almost like a mere noble who had snuck into his ruler's throne room at night to indulge in a brief fantasy in comparison. Of course, Allen's first impression of the king prevented this image from sticking in his mind, but what could be expected when one's dignity was so quickly surrendered to emotion?

Of course, if Lenalee's brother was a king, that meant Lenalee… Lenalee was a princess! That had come as a great shock to the merboy. He was hardly unused to royalty; not only had he spent five years of his life around them, he _was_ one, and all that experience had led him to one conclusion: Princes and princesses were generally the last people he'd ever like to know. They were simply _those_ kinds of people. Allen suspected it was the upbringing – he liked to think _he_ was a relatively good person, if a little flawed – but whatever it was, he had yet to meet a royal person that he liked.

Until Lenalee, that is. His first impressions of human monarchs were less than suitable to change his mind, with Kanda showing all the kindness, intelligence, and general virtues of a Noah (or a shark, although Allen had seen sharks with more of those qualities than Kanda). Komui had jumped off his throne the moment Allen had entered and apparently attempted to conduct an execution right then and there. Somehow, Allen hadn't managed to associate Lenalee with _owning_ the castle until she'd called Komui "brother" (and the man was unquestionably a king), and even then it had taken a few minutes for the neurons to connect.

(It had been a very embarrassing moment when, in the middle of Lenalee and Lavi restraining the king from murder and Allen pressing himself nervously against a wall to avoid the dangerous-looking, magically-appearing weapons, the thought had suddenly arrived in the form of a loud shout of realization. Fortunately, Lenalee was the first to recover from the state of stunned shock and successfully saved the merboy's life – for real this time.)

So Lenalee was a princess, and Allen's biased views on royalty had immediately shifted to accommodate the possibility that some of them, just _some_, might be among the best people he'd ever meet in his lifetime.

That had prompted him to ask Lavi if he too was, by any chance, royal. Lavi had doubled over with laughter for a few minutes before assuring Allen, gasping, that no, he was really just a historian. There had been a brief delay… Allen wondered if perhaps Lavi had just required a moment to think about the answer. _He_ sometimes did, after all.

Allen's reminiscence was interrupted by the sound of his name being called.

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee was asking. "Allen-kun?!"

_Ah!_ Allen snapped out of the memory and nodded rapidly.

"So my brother says it's all right for you to stay here with us for as long as you need to." Had Allen not heard that conversation himself, Lenalee's smile would have told him that not all was as it seemed from her words. "Let's go to your room, then, shall we? Lavi? Ka- er, do you want to come too, Kanda?"

"CHE." The sour-faced Kanda didn't even twitch.

"…so Lavi and I will show you around a little. Is _that_ room all right, Lavi? The one Komrin wrecked last- oh, it's a lovely room," Lenalee assured Allen, quickly changing the topic. "I'm afraid we can't break custom and give you a better room; this one is nice, but it's just for minor nobles with business in the city." By now, the trio had exited into a bright hallway, the noon sunlight pouring through the enormous windows. "Kanda has a better one, being a prince and all… Does that bother you?"

Allen shook his head and smiled, although a small part of him did feel annoyed at knowing such a person had such a tiny advantage over him – just a little. Being a prince himself, he probably deserved the same for himself, but that wasn't something he felt a desperate need to communicate to the others. It also might bring some unwanted questions; Lenalee knew his secret, but what about Lavi? Would Komui end up finding out? If anyone else learned of it…

"That one? The one with a really great view of the ocean?" Lavi asked, peering out the windows as they walked. "That one's really nice."

"Is that all right with you, Allen-kun?" Lenalee asked hesitantly. Allen was immediately aware of the unspoken words between them: would he like to be constantly reminded of his former home? "If you'd prefer to see the city, or to not have windows at all…"

Allen turned to the pad of paper again. _No, that's fine! The view sounds really beautiful._ He'd almost have liked to write more, about how a tiny part of him felt a little homesick already and the ocean really _was_ a splendid thing to watch from above, but he'd never been a particularly fast writer. That expectant, anxious look on Lavi's and Lenalee's faces every time he raised the pen unnerved him.

"Great! It's just up these stairs and down the hall," Lavi told him. "Close to our rooms, too."

_Lenalee sleeps near Lavi?_ And Komui wasn't concerned about that at all? Hmm… Allen suspected the king's priorities may not have been entirely in order.

Lenalee rolled her eyes at Allen's dark look. "It's not what you think, Allen-kun. Brother would never let me sleep within fifty metres of a man that isn't him. My room is directly above yours, although Lavi's is a few rooms away. He shares it with Bookman."

_Bookman?_ Allen gave Lavi a quizzical look. Was Bookman some sort of cat, or… a _man_…

"He's my teacher!" Lavi said quickly. "I'm still an apprentice historian. It's not what you're thinking, perverted street kid."

Allen ducked the playful smack and increased his pace, ignoring the pain that shot through his feet at every step. He'd been doing plenty of walking with this pair, enough to make the movements fairly easy – almost natural. One would have had to look very closely to notice his inexperience, and that could easily have been passed off as the result of an injury.

"Up those stairs," Lavi's voice came from behind the merboy. "We're pretty close."

Allen was about to give him a grateful smile when the aforementioned stairs came into his vision.

That was not merely 'stairs'. That was a giant winding staircase, marble stone engraved with gold, magnificently centred in a sort of inner courtyard covered by a domed ceiling. As Allen's eyes followed its path upwards, he noticed bridges extending at various intervals to balconies stretching around the entire length of the room. The staircase culminated at the top level, just a faint blur to Allen's eyes.

_Lavi can't be serious… That must be at least seven floors up! _Underwater, such a distance would have been nothing, but then, stairs were only for decoration when one could simply swim straight up with a flick of one's tail.

"See? Just a quick walk. Once you're up there, it's at the end of the hall." Lavi patted Allen's back reassuringly. "We'll be there in no time – just ten or fifteen minutes."

"Come on, Allen-kun." Lavi and Lenalee started to make their way to the foot of the staircase, but paused when Allen failed to follow. "Allen-kun?" Lenalee asked hesitantly, giving him a worried look when he didn't respond. "Is everything all right, Allen-kun?"

_I have to walk… up that… every day…_

Allen jabbed a finger at the staircase and shook his head.

"Don't be a wuss, Allen…" Lavi grinned eagerly. "Just start running and don't stop 'till you get to the top! It's more fun that way!"

At Allen's overly cheerful nod and smile, Lavi began to bound up the stairs, pausing on occasion to glance down at the pair below. Lenalee, however, was more cautious, venturing towards the younger boy when he didn't move afterwards.

"Is everything all right, Allen-kun?" she whispered. The mere flicker of her eyes towards Lavi hinted that she was referring to more than just his state of mind. "Your legs…"

_Everything's fine_, he mouthed, waving his hands in a don't-bother gesture. Lenalee was unconvinced.

"If it's too much for you to walk…"

_I'm fine._ Allen plastered a very fake smile on his face and attempted to casually stroll towards the marble structure. He couldn't hide his flinch as he took a first step above ground, but moved faster at Lenalee's concerned frown. No matter how much it hurt, it wasn't anything for her to worry about. It was his business, his consequence, the price he'd paid for three months away from everything. He could deal with it on his own!

"That's the spirit!" Lavi called from three stories up. Allen nodded weakly and continued. At the foot of the staircase, Lenalee gave an exasperated sigh and, footsteps heavy and dragging, followed Allen to where Lavi was sitting on the gold-embellished railway.

Finally, _finally_, they reached the seventh floor. Allen felt ready to collapse from the pain shooting through the soles of his feet. Bracing himself against the wall with one arm, he showed that fake grin to the pair of humans again and mouthed, _How much farther?_

"How… eh… We're almost there," Lavi told him again, with slightly less confidence. Lenalee looked unconvinced; Allen found out why when she grabbed his left arm and dragged him to the centre of the hallway.

"It's down there."

Allen very nearly did collapse right then and there when he discovered that he couldn't even _see_ the end this time.

At least it didn't involve stairs.

By the time Lenalee produced a master key worn around her neck, unlocked the door, and ushered Allen inside, he could barely stand. Legs wobbling, he tottered to the canopied bed and collapsed, face-down, without a single metaphorical word to his new companions. For that matter, he was too weary to even take a look at his surroundings.

"It wasn't _that_ far," Lavi muttered petulantly.

"He's probably come a long way today. Er… Allen-kun, will you be having a nap now?" Lenalee asked softly, taking a step towards the bed.

There was no response. Allen didn't even stir, although his eyes were wide open and unfocused on a corner of the room.

"…We'll be back in a few hours to show you around." Lenalee motioned for Lavi to leave, then stepped out into the hallway herself. "Um… sleep well."

Allen didn't even notice as she closed the door behind her. It wasn't so much that he felt tired as _weary_. He'd had an excellent rest the night before, and yes, he'd swam all the way to shore from Cross's island just an hour earlier, but walking for half an hour could not drain the energy out of a young, healthy boy so easily. Was it what had come before: meeting two new humans, agreeing to live with them, nearly being murdered by a mad king, dealing with Kanda, dealing with Lavi's energy, all that bloody _walking_…

Now that his feet no longer made contact with the solid ground, the constantly sharp pain had disappeared completely. Was it the magical nature of his new body that had caused this defect in the first place, and therefore allowed for these unusual effects (or lack thereof; shouldn't they be swollen and tender by now)? Allen supposed it was an equal counterbalance to his inability to grow accustomed to the pain as time passed… no, it really should be a positive effect; Allen suspected he would be spending less time walking or standing anyway. He could always ask Lenalee if-

No, he definitely shouldn't do that. Lenalee was gracious enough to provide him with a place to stay (that included a _very_ comfortable bed). He couldn't possibly impose anything else on her, much less his appetite. Which reminded him, he should ask about where he could find a job where he could earn enough food to feed a… a… come to think of it, Allen wondered if there were any creatures underwater with his capacity and need for food. Was it the case on land, too?

If so, a task offering such a payment might be very difficult to find, after all.

…and he'd be imposing on Lenalee _again_ just asking for help!

Lavi, he decided. Lavi owed him one for the stair incident.

Allen kicked off his boots with some difficulty, having never done so before, and crawled up to the top of the bed. The quilt and pillowcases were a pale blue, he noted, and reminded him almost of the calm presence of water surrounding him. After so much time spent out of the water, he'd half-forgotten its buoyancy. The mere thought of it now made him feel strangely heavy…

…particularly his eyelids…

…and suddenly, there was a soft hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. Allen blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what had just happened – hadn't Lenalee and Lavi left a few minutes ago? – when his cheek touched something strangely cold and wet.

Ah… that hadn't been the product of a few moments of thought. Allen turned his head away from the patch of saliva-soaked pillow to face the person standing above him.

_G' af'ernoon…_ he mumbled, half-aware of the world around him and the fact that no sound actually exited his mouth.

"Are you feeling better now? It's dinner-time; come with us to the dining room, all right?" Lenalee's voice sounded almost melodic to his ears, especially at the mention of 'dinner'. Allen's grey eyes shot open fully by the end of her sentence, and as she opened her mouth to explain that she'd told the kitchens about her guest already, Allen was sitting up next to her and beaming brightly.

As if on cue, his stomach rumbled, reminding Allen that he hadn't had anything to eat since early that morning on the island. Going without lunch was not something he enjoyed, even for a pleasant nap. Hopefully, the castle cooks would be able to handle the equivalent of two Allen meals… he could wait a little if necessary.

_Didn't you just decide not to eat here, though?! The castle probably already has enough problems to handle without adding one of this size!_

The smile slipped momentarily, and Allen promptly shuffled away to the other end of the bed, away from Lenalee. When the proper facial expression was back in place, he shook his head quickly. Lenalee looked unconvinced.

"But Allen-kun, your stomach…" She frowned at it. "Aren't you hungry?"

_No, not at all! I'm completely fine!_ Allen reached over to the notepad that had fallen next to him on the bed hours earlier. The pen had left a dark stain on the cover… oops. Hopefully, Lenalee wouldn't see it. _I'll be all right. Go on ahead; I'll- _He paused, trying to think of an excuse. _I need to ask Lavi something. Is he here?_

"He's downstairs already, but…" Lenalee wouldn't meet his eyes, and was it just Allen or did her voice grow colder as she read? "If you really need to talk to Lavi, then I'm sure he'll stay there. Just don't keep him waiting. He, at least, will want something to eat."

With that, she stood up from the bed, brushing creases out of her skirt stiffly, then exited the room without so much as a glance back at Allen. He stared at the closed door, his mind still processing what had just occurred, then suddenly scrambled to his feet.

She had seen the ink stain. She must have. Damn. What if she was crying?! What if those were her favourite sheets, or- No wonder Lenalee was angry!

As he emerged into the hall, he looked around wildly for Lenalee; she was already at the top of the staircase by the time his eyes fell upon her back. With a silent curse, Allen ran down the hall after her, not bothering to even shut the door behind him. The ground felt like the sharp points of knives beneath his feet, and the thin material of sock between his skin and the ground provided little protection against the hardness of the floor, but the only thing on Allen's mind was apologizing to Lenalee. She was so nice, after all, and he'd only taken advantage of the situation! Why, he would be lucky if she didn't throw him out onto the street right then and there, and he'd deserve it, besides.

_Lenalee!_

Panting lightly, he placed a hand on her shoulder when he caught up at the bridge to the sixth floor; Lenalee stopped, then turned her head slightly. Allen could see a faint glistening in the corner of her eye as she looked away and gently pried his hand away.

It felt as if someone had dropped rocks into his empty stomach. Allen swallowed what felt like a lump the size of Timcanpy in his throat and took a step backwards, feeling strangely hurt even through the powerful guilt about the bedcover. He knew he shouldn't expect anything else – it probably was her favourite, and she'd trusted him with them! – but even so…

"You don't need to follow me, Allen-kun," Lenalee said in an eerily cheerful voice. The forced nature of every word made his stomach – or was it his heart? – plummet even more. "I'll tell Lavi to wait for you, so feel free take your time. It's fine if it doesn't concern me."

_Lenalee…_

Allen wished he could tell her how sorry he was. If it was possible, he'd have desperately begun to spout off apologies the moment he reached her, perhaps even falling to his knees and lowering his head. It would be unbecoming for a prince, but then, she was of equal status – or more, as he doubted she was as far away from achieving the throne as he – and he had made _such_ a colossal mistake in her realm. As it was, he could not speak, and quickly-written, barely legible words would not convey his feelings properly.

So Allen stood there, head bowed and unmoving, as Lenalee strode elegantly down the staircase pretending the exchange had never occurred. He felt completely miserable; not only had he ruined Lenalee's favourite bedcover but she seemed disinclined to even _speak_ to him again, let alone _forgive_ him. He really was a horrible person, wasn't he, doing such a thing…

A dark blur exiting the courtyard on the bottom floor caught his eye; Lenalee had departed. Ever so slowly, he made his way down the staircase, dragging one foot forward and carefully placing it before lifting the other off the ground. The extension of his journey only intensified the pain, which Allen saw as a sort of self-inflicted punishment for what he'd done to Lenalee. The cold of the marble penetrating his socks and through the soles of his feet only served to support the idea of a penance.

As he arrived at the bottom, eyes downcast, Allen almost wished the journey had lasted even longer. He dreaded the inevitable events: Lavi running up to him, stunned, to demand what he'd done to offend Lenalee… Lavi chastising him … Lavi forcefully throwing him from the doors of the castle while a tearful Lenalee watched angrily and cold-hearted Kanda grinned as he watched the events unfold…

"Allen?" As predicted, Lavi wandered over casually to the younger boy with a puzzled expression on his slightly tanned face. "You talk- er, you were with Lenalee just now, right?"

Allen nodded dejectedly.

"So…" Lavi leaned closer. "You know what's up with her?"

Allen nodded again.

"Gonna tell me?"

Allen shook his head this time. He really didn't feel like explaining right now…

"Didn't you have to ask me something, though? 'Least, that's what Lenalee said." Lavi shrugged and moved behind Allen, apparently to look at his writing pad over the merboy's shoulder. "You're 'fine'?" he read aloud. "What did Lenalee ask you?"

Allen elbowed him gently out of the way and scrawled, _Dinner._ Again, his stomach growled at the mere thought of the word.

"Huh… Lenalee was really worried about you earlier, you know?" Lavi told him, scratching his head and backing around so Allen could face him again. "I don't know what happened earlier to make her so affectionate over some guy she barely knows, but…" His voice took on a sharp edge. "If she was crying because of _you_ just now…"

Allen's eyes dropped down to the ground and he nodded, affirming Lavi's suspicion.

"What else happened," Lavi said coldly. It sounded more like a demand to Allen's ears than a question.

The offending item now told the tale of its crime: _The pen leaked on the bedcover._

Lavi's eye scanned the sentence.

He read it again, slower and sceptically.

And _again_, now looking as if he could barely believe what was written on the page.

"The _pen_ leaked?!"

Allen nodded weakly.

"And you're sure this is why Lenalee's angry? She say something to you about it, Allen?"

Allen shook his head slightly. He knew, though. That _had_ to be it.

"But she noticed?"

Now that he thought about it… Allen shrugged. Why else would Lenalee be angry, though?

Lavi breathed a long sigh and plucked the pad from Allen's gloved hand. "Let's see," he murmured, flipping through the earlier pages, "anything else here? You-" He frowned thoughtfully at the last few sentences. "So let me get this straight: Lenalee asked about dinner, you said you're fine, but that… you had to talk to me…"

What did this have to do with Lenalee being angry? Allen pointed to the explanation with the tip of the pen and ran it under the sentence for emphasis. The pen left a dark line of ink as it passed.

"No, no," Lavi told him, "Lenalee wouldn't get angry because of something like _that_, if she even noticed it in the first place. There must be some other reason. It happened just like this, you say?"

Allen nodded. Well, that was after she'd told him about dinner, but Lenalee had seemed normal then…

The paper was shoved back into his hands as Lavi gave a firm nod himself and a triumphant, if weak, smile. "That's why. Allen, you don't get it at all, do you?"

_Get what?_ The blank look on his face would have sufficed even had he not reflexively spoken.

"That you totally blew Lenalee off!" the historian shouted. "She was worried about you, and you ignore her efforts to be nice, you lie to her face, and then tell her you want to speak to me instead as if she couldn't do a thing!"

_But I DO need to speak to you!_ Allen started to write this down, but gave up halfway through; Lavi had received the message.

"You made it sound like you didn't want Lenalee to help you! It's okay to come to me, but Lenalee can't be trusted with it – that's basically what you said!"

_That's not true!_ Allen protested silently. _It wasn't like-_ No, that wasn't really correct, was it? He really _had_ refused Lenalee's help out of a desire not to burden her. _I just don't want to cause problems for her,_ Allen admitted, pen flying across paper in a nearly illegible scrawl. _She's done so much for me already; how could I possibly repay-_

"Don't." Lavi put his hand over Allen's, stilling his movements. "Lenalee likes doing that sort of thing, okay? She'd do anything for a friend. It's in her nature. Shouldn't you have realized that by now?"

Allen's grip slackened. Lavi was right; how could he not have noticed? It had been clear right from the very beginning that Lenalee would risk her life for nothing but to know she'd made someone happy. Not only had he attributed negative qualities to her without being aware of it, he'd been acting selfishly by not accepting her kindness. He hated being in debt; he'd find any way to get out of it… but not everyone expected to be repaid by anything more than a smile.

Was it really entirely his fault, though? Lenalee was the first person he'd met in years – since Mana, in fact – who behaved that way. He knew blaming the Noah for this oversight would be irresponsible, but it _had_ been his experience with unsavoury people that had taught him about how rare those selfless people were. They certainly deserved respect, though, for being able to do so much and ask for so little.

And if Lenalee thought he couldn't trust her, or didn't want to…

Allen gulped; no wonder she was furious. He'd need to do more than just get on his knees and murmur apologies to set this situation right. This might require some tail… er, leg?-kissing. He suspected bribery would not be appropriate in this particular situation.

Once again, his stomach growled at the most inappropriate moment, reminding him that he was about to refuse a second meal of the day. Lenalee's power over him must be incredible if thoughts of offending her could make him refuse _two_ servings of food – and consecutively, at that!

"Heh," Lavi grunted, "I bet Lenalee caught you in that lie too, huh."

Allen flushed with embarrassment.

"Come on." The older boy clapped a hand on his shoulder and started walking towards the exit Lenalee had departed from. "Let's get something to eat." He gave Allen a soft smile; the merboy's range of expressions that had culminated in depressive guilt had told Lavi how regretful he truly was. "Lenalee will be there, too."

He didn't need to tell Allen that it would be the perfect opportunity to offer an apology and atone for the horrible mistake. Allen smiled faintly and picked up the pace slightly.

As they left, though, Lavi couldn't help but make one last observation:

"Allen, what happened to your boots?"

* * *

"So," Lavi began once the appetizers were set in front of the four teenagers at the dinner table, "how 'bout that nice weather?"

Silence. Kanda rolled his eyes and picked at his shrimp salad. Lenalee pretended she hadn't heard a thing. Allen was too busy staring sadly at Lenalee to pay attention to anything, even the food in front of him.

Lavi scowled. He hadn't expected anything more from Kanda, but why was Lenalee refusing to acknowledge _his_ presence? She wasn't so petty as to see him enter with Allen, acting friendly with the boy, and think that…

…no, this was Lenalee, and if she hadn't exacted an apology out of Allen or at least made him understand her opinion, she wouldn't be satisfied. To her eyes, Lavi was probably an accomplice too foolish to even notice something was wrong with her. Lenalee definitely knew him better than that, but if her mind was so clouded with Allen-

A small twinge of jealousy made his muscles tense momentarily. He knew it was irrational – they were nothing but friends, could never be anything more, and moreover, there was nothing to say it wasn't the same with Allen – yet the feeling still hit him once in a while. No matter. She was an exceptionally beautiful friend, and the princess of his kingdom; Lavi could afford an irrational thought once in a while.

Besides, Lenalee _was_ being a little too nice to someone she'd only met once before, particularly one about whom nothing was known. For all they knew, Allen could be an assassin sent from a neighbouring country to-

As stupid as it sounded, Lavi decided never to leave Allen and Lenalee alone somewhere together from then on. No one could _actually_ be that innocent, foolish, and cute.

With that thought out of the way, Lavi decided to attempt to revive the table conversation. "So what're you having, Lenalee? Just a plain salad? I always liked dressing on mine, you know-"

Somehow, a cherry tomato managed to find its way into Lavi's visible eye. Kanda snickered.

"Ouch! _Shit_, that- so Allen, what about you? That's a huge piece of cheese you've got there, huh?"

Allen clearly recognized the need to improve the mood, for he pulled his gaze away from Lenalee and managed to respond affirmatively, with a bright smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Lavi raised his eyebrows, waiting for Allen to comment…

…and remembered that the younger boy was mute. Excellent.

One option left. "Kanda? How's your pumpkin so-"

"Shut up, stupid rabbit."

Allen gave Lavi a shocked look. _Was that-_

"Nickname," the red-haired historian said quickly. "From a long time ago. Childhood." It wasn't _quite_ true, as Lavi hadn't known the prince in his childhood, but Allen wouldn't know that – and it was a far less embarrassing explanation than the truth.

The explanation seemed to satisfy Allen, and he went back to devouring the pile of cheese and lettuce on his plate. Lenalee had not looked up from her food even once during the exchange, however. To Lavi's mind, this meant it was time for interference, even if it meant injuring his gorgeous green eye yet again.

"So Lenalee," he began, beaming brightly, "how did you spend your afternoon?"

No response.

"I heard from one of the servants that you were locked up in your room all afternoon. Lots of noise coming from that floor, though… You start up that animal hospital again?"

Lenalee showed no outward sign of listening, but her hands stilled.

"Why don't you tell Allen about it?" he continued in a relaxed tone. Beside him, Allen had perked up a little, looking curiously at the princess. "He doesn't know you have a reputation for taking in injured animals and caring for them out of the goodness of your big heart, does he?"

The fork fell onto the plate with a _clang_; Lenalee was definitely paying attention. What Lavi didn't notice was Allen's shoulders stiffening ever so slightly; the 'animal' comment had hit a little too close to home for someone whose natural form had the lower half of a dolphin.

"Right, Lenalee?" Lavi prompted. Lenalee bit her lip; was she going to speak? "I'm surprised he hasn't heard it before, what with everyone saying it's one of your best traits and all."

That was another little white lie, of course. The first thing that came out of most people's mouths when describing Lenalee had absolutely nothing to do with her personality.

"So?" At the sound of Lenalee's icy tone, Lavi didn't know whether to run and hide or to rejoice at the fact that he'd gotten her to react at all. "Allen-kun had some idea of it."

Allen cringed; she really was angry because of _that_. How stupid must he have been to think it was the leaky pen?

"And," Lenalee added, violet eyes focused calmly on the mostly empty plate in front of her, "it seems that he's heard a similar rumour about _you_, Lavi. Clearly, you're even more comforting than I am."

Lavi flinched. So she _did_ blame him for this!

"Well, that's… I'm not so sure, Lenalee. Y-you obviously know best, of course, but, well, you know Allen, never the brightest fish in the net… ahaha…"

Allen choked on a piece of cheese. Lenalee's eyes were larger than the offending food morsel.

How odd, Lavi thought. Allen didn't _seem_ that intelligent. Was Lenalee aware of Allen's secret?

(If so, then why was she concerned about him even with that knowledge? After all, he _must_ be a spy!)

"At any rate," Lenalee said once her composure had returned, "it's clear who the competent, trustworthy one in this castle is."

"Kanda."

Allen snorted with laughter.

"…That's not…" Lenalee was clearly struggling to suppress a smile herself. "It's nothing."

For a brief moment, Allen's head lowered, pale hair falling in a curtain in front of his face as he wrote something on the now slightly worn pad of paper. He then placed it on the table carefully, facing Lenalee, and gently slid it across to her.

Lavi caught the message as it moved past; it was simple and perfect, expressing all that Allen could really say at this point.

_I'm sorry_.

As she picked up the note and read it, Lenalee's eyes softened. It became clear the note had had a profound impact when she spoke, her voice full of emotion and pain.

"How could you say such a thing, Allen-kun?" she whispered. Lavi caught a flicker of movement at the doorway to the kitchen; it must be time for the main courses, yet the servants were hesitant to enter at such a moment. They certainly knew their mistress well. "From the moment we met, it should have been clear to anyone! You saved my life, that's true, but I didn't abandon you, either! Why can't you trust me?"

Allen's eyes were downcast as he shook his head sadly. Without the paper, he had no way to properly communicate with anyone (short of letting everyone read his lips, but only Lenalee seemed to be able to figure out entire sentences that way, and not with ease). Lavi suspected, though, that Allen wouldn't have said anything anyway.

Now the tears had begun to fall. "I _like_ you, Allen-kun. I really do – you seem like such a nice person – I… _we_ all want to be your friend-" Kanda gave a soft 'che', as if to say 'speak for yourself'- "but you won't let _me_. You can talk to _Lavi_, but not…"

"Hey," Lavi interrupted quietly, "I had nothing to do with this."

Allen glanced up through his long bangs, a soft look in his grey eyes. _I _do _want to be your friend, Lenalee…_

He hadn't said a word, or communicated a message in any way, but Lenalee somehow understood. She reached across the table to take his hands, placing the notepad in them before cupping them in her own. "Then trust me, Allen-kun. If we're going to become friends – all of us, not just you and I – then we need that on both sides."

A brief flash of nervousness in the grey orbs didn't escape Lavi's vision; Lenalee's grip tightened at that.

"As much as we possibly can," she added quickly. "You're not a burden at all, Allen-kun. You're our _friend_."

"And think of it this way," Lavi said. "You saved Lenalee's life, right? If the thought of accepting her care bothers you – and it shouldn't if you're a healthy young man-" Everyone at the table shot him death glares. Lavi nervously cleared this throat and continued. "Think of it as repayment. A life's worth a lot, and Lenalee's, more than most."

The pale-haired boy seemed a little comforted by that thought, Lavi noticed with more than a hint of frustration, as he wrapped his glove-encased thumbs around Lenalee's. Had the notepad not been contained in the boy's hands he might have turned them over entirely. Perhaps there _was_ something for Lavi to be wary about: Lenalee was an attractive young princess, after all; naturally, Allen would have noticed, and-

Ah, excellent, Kanda was giving Allen a rather unpleasant look himself (although knowing Kanda, that could be mere dislike for the naïve teenager rather than a reaction to Allen's current behaviour). 'Unpleasant' was really a bit of an understatement, but Lavi did have to wonder how Lenalee – and Allen himself, to some extent – could be so unaware of the two boys around them.

_I'm sorry_, Allen repeated, his gaze finally meeting Lenalee's.

"I forgive you, Allen-kun," she whispered softly. "On one condition."

Condition? Lavi exchanged a bemused glance with Kanda; Allen's wide-eyed expression showed a mix of fear, relief, and hurt. What could Lenalee possibly-

"Tomorrow," Lenalee stated, a startling amount of energy present in her voice, "I would like to go shopping. As your punishment, Allen-kun, you must accompany me."

_Well, that doesn't sound so bad._ Allen's expression lapsed into relief. Lavi, however, was unconvinced. What Lenalee was suggesting sounded oddly like a date, something she could never be afforded with a commoner like Allen, but even had she not been plainly aware of that restriction… What was Lenalee planning?

"Just to warn you, I haven't been out in weeks, so I'll need to go to, well, most of the stores in the city. Naturally, a gentleman should carry a lady's shopping bags for her, so isn't it convenient that a nice, strong one like you will be my companion, Allen-kun?"

The relief instantly disappeared from Allen's face.

_Aha_, Lavi thought, _that's it._ Lenalee was not normally one to take advantage of a person like that, but the expression of pure terror she had inspired was almost comical – oh, and she had probably intended for this all along, now that he thought about it. Allen had nothing to wear but the clothes on his back, and knowing Lenalee, she simply wanted to strengthen the friendship between them all. Lavi suspected he'd receive an invitation the next morning, along with – perhaps – Kanda. The real punishment was probably the shopping bags, if Lenalee intended to keep her word; _that_ would teach Allen never to upset the princess again.

"Ah, and one more thing," Lenalee added, smiling triumphantly as the formerly hesitant servants arrived with the main courses, "I know your feet have been hurting you when you walk, Allen-kun, so I'll arrange for a carriage tomorrow. There should be one or two free."

With that, Lenalee turned her attention to the dish of linguini in front of her. Across the table from her, Allen and Lavi both wore identical expressions of complete shock.

"Allen," Lavi said softly without turning his head, "_does_ it hurt you to walk?"

Allen nodded slowly, eyes fixated firmly on the wall behind Lenalee.

"Amazing," he breathed. Lenalee was truly a miraculous human being.

* * *

The next day, the midmorning sun revealed a carriage packed with four _very_ uncomfortable teenagers.

"Stupid rabbit, stop squirming and sit down!"

"But Allen's feet are in the way!"

"Stop it, Lavi! You're taking up all the space in here!"

_Nod nod._

"And- get _down_, beansprout! You're practically sitting on me!"

Allen had lifted himself off the red-cushioned bench from where he'd been sitting next to Lenalee to look out the window. The carriage driver had tied the material back before the departure at Lenalee's request, and after gaining the approval of Link. From what Allen could see, Link was a sort of bodyguard not much older than Lavi and Kanda; he was riding with the carriage driver due to a lack of space inside the tiny compartment.

"Oi, Yuu, what're you so pissed about? _You're_ not the one sitting directly across from him!"

The white-haired boy tore his attention away from the window briefly to shoot an annoyed glare at Lavi.

"Everyone…" Lenalee's voice was calm, but a hint of barely restrained frustration lurked beneath it. "This is Allen-kun's first time in this kingdom. You can put up with a little less space for a few minutes, right?"

That smile promised Hell if the boys didn't comply. In unison, they sullenly muttered their agreement.

Allen paid no attention to this exchange, too interested in the sights outside the carriage window. Lenalee was correct; he'd never seen the kingdom before, but more importantly, he'd never seen _land_ until very recently. Under the ocean surface, the ground was made of sand and rock and the occasional coral reef. Such an expanse of green and dark brown would have been beyond his imagination! He'd read about trees, of course, and flowers, and grass, and mud, and soil… but his mind could never have conceived an image remotely resembling, or nearly as magnificent as reality.

The path to the city was short: a well-worn dirt road passing by a low hill on one side and an expanse of grass leading to the beach on the other; it was the latter which Allen had an excellent view of. Small trees – not small to Allen, though – dotted the sea-side here and there, in no particular arrangement. Occasionally, the carriage passed close enough to a patch of tiny white flowers by the side of the road, or he caught a glimpse of taller red or yellow ones growing closer to the trees. They were too distant to be anything more than a colourful blur, but Allen could already tell that the black-and-white sketches he'd seen did not do their beauty justice.

All in all, with the serene ocean sparkling in the morning sunlight, it was a wonderful vision to behold. Allen wondered how anyone could ever _think_ of criticizing the world above the ocean surface when it held such glorious sights as this.

"You like it, Allen-kun?" Allen turned around to see Lenalee smiling brightly at him; he nodded quickly and looked away as an embarrassed flush crept over his cheeks. An involuntary thought had somehow sneaked its way into his mind: that landscape wasn't the only beautiful vision on land…

"Weird, though, isn't it?" Lavi asked, having apparently gotten over his previous discomfort. "The kingdom's pretty and all, but the way he's looking out that window it's like he's never seen this stuff before. You from the mountains, Allen?"

Allen's initial reaction was to frown, but before he'd started to shake his head in a negative response, Lenalee gave him a subtle kick to the side of his foot. The action became a nod. Allen didn't know a thing about mountains, of course, but he could hardly tell Lavi the truth, now, could he?

Lavi exhaled in a low whistling noise, looking somewhat impressed. "You've come a long way!"

"Che." Kanda had his nose in the air. Allen stiffened at the sight; the older prince gave the impression that the merboy was like an unpleasant smell he had to tolerate. "No one cares about mountains."

A nerve in Allen's face twitched. How dare Kanda insult his cover-story home…

"Kanda…" Lenalee looked a little irritated herself. "That's Allen-kun's home, so…"

"I'm curious," Lavi agreed. "Nothing wrong with getting to know someone, right?"

"Che. Not like the beansprout can even _speak_."

Oh, that was _it_; it may have been the truth, but Kanda was _so fucking dead-_

Allen took a step forward, intending to throttle the dark-haired boy's neck, when the carriage suddenly lurched ahead, sending the poor merboy flying into the front wall. However, he was close enough to Kanda by this time that he'd flown straight past the empty space where he'd been sitting earlier and instead made contact with what had been beside him – and now lay between him and the wooden carriage interior.

It took Allen a moment to comprehend that this _something_ was incredibly soft and warm.

It took him another moment, this one of shocked silence, to realize he'd fallen right into Lenalee's lap.

Lenalee's startled gasp snapped him out of his shock; bright red with humiliation, Allen pulled back sharply and scrambled over to his side of the carriage, narrowly missing Lavi (who was returning to his seat after also being flung forward; Kanda had somehow managed to stay serenely in place).

"Lucky Allen," Lavi grumbled half-heartedly, the jealous gleam in his eye contrasting oddly with the suggestive smirk on his lips.

Had Allen been capable of speech, he would have known what to do. Instead, his disjointed and racing thoughts resulted in a mix of confused behaviour; one moment, he rummaged around for his pen and notepad only to pause and bow his head deeply in apology. Then he lifted his eyes briefly to see Lenalee's reaction, muttered a string of silent apologies, and went for the paper again.

"Allen-kun," Lenalee nudged him, "Allen-kun, it's all right." A faint blush was present across her cheeks too, Lavi noticed with concern. "I-it was an accident, after all."

From the front of the carriage, a faint _Sorry!_ was heard.

Allen paused in the middle of writing a very long and repetitive apology. He glanced up hesitantly, first questioningly at Lavi, then at Lenalee. Both nodded. Still embarrassed, his hands crept to his sides, writing utensils still clutched tightly in them.

"Che. _Perverts_."

"Now, now, Kanda," Lavi said with a sly grin, "how would _you_ feel if fate decided to give your head the experience of contacting Lenalee's soft lap, her taut stomach, her supple and round br-"

Fate promptly decided to give Lavi the experience of being assaulted by three red-faced people at once.

"Even then," Lavi concluded, rubbing his injuries ruefully and wincing, "Allen really is a lucky bastard, isn't he?"

Fortunately for everyone in the compartment, the carriage immediately halted. They had arrived in the city, directly in front of the first few stores on Lenalee's shopping list.

As they exited the carriage, the driver – a man of average height whose only distinguishing feature was the oddly-shaped tuft of hair sitting on his head – ran up to them, a worried look on his face, and began to apologize profusely. Allen almost envied the man for being able to do so.

"I'm so sorry, your Highness – chickens on the road, you see – no, no excuses, I am truly sorry-"

"Everything is all right," Lenalee reassured him. "None of us were hurt. It was a minor inconvenience, no… an accident. Everything is fine." Despite her words, the blush had returned at the memory of the incident.

"Your Highness," Link interrupted, stepping forward and executing a deep bow. "Shall I request a private shopping session for your Highness and… guests?" At the last word, his eyes flickered to Allen, clearly implying the bodyguard believed him to be a _questionable_ person.

"Thank you, Link," Lenalee said, a thoughtful look on her face, "but I wouldn't want to cause an inconvenience to anyone. The people are very well-behaved," she added to Allen. "They'll curtsy and bow if they see me, or Kanda, but they've seen Brother and I enough times that everyone tends to go about their business normally when we're around."

Allen blinked in momentary surprise; such an attitude would never have been tolerated by the Noah, not that most of them spent their time among the common people. Oh, Tiki had his labourer friends, and Skinn would have gone anywhere for sweet food, but from anyone more distant than a close friend they expected complete deference. Allen hadn't particularly cared after spending ten years of his life in that lower class, bowing and scraping to anyone with a larger ego, but his later hobbies had mostly been solitary. He'd never even been in such a situation before.

With a bemused shake of his head, Allen followed the other teenagers into the first shop: a women's clothing boutique with a pair of mannequins in the window and a deep blue awning over the doorway. Almost immediately, the brown-haired shopkeeper ran up to meet her, curtsying deeply when she halted.

"It is a great honour to have your Highness in such a humble little shop," she murmured, a hint of awe present in her tone. "How may I serve you this morning?"

Lenalee explained that she was looking for a new dress or two, perhaps in blue, and had a new style begun to emerge, by any chance? As soon as she'd finished, the young woman straightened up, gave a quick bow of her head, and scurried off to a hanger of clothing. The princess followed, and soon the two women were engaged in discussion on the garments as if they were the closest of friends.

"Wow," Lavi sighed, leaning against one of the white-wallpapered walls, "Risa's quite the woman, isn't she?"

Allen and Kanda gave him blank looks.

"The shopkeeper. Her. Few years older 'n us, and already lost her fiancé…" Lavi sighed again and shook his head sadly. "How tragic."

"Pervert," Kanda muttered.

"Now, now," Lavi said, spreading his hands in a nothing-to-be-done gesture, "widows _are_ a beautiful type of women, are they not?"

Allen frowned. _But she's not-_

"Tut tut, young man! Do not claim to know more than the Master of Love." Lavi waggled a finger and pushed Allen's notepad into a vertical position. "She may not have been married, but it was quite the commitment Risa had. They planned to marry for _love_."

Kanda snorted. "Master of Stupid Rabbits is what you are."

"Master of All Things, I am! One moment, Love; the next, Stupid Rabbits. What will be next, the Master of Cold-Hearted Swordsman Princes-"

"Fucking _pervert_!"

Allen rolled his eyes at the display of testosterone-induced flirtation and general grumpiness and focused his attention on Lenalee instead. Together with Risa, she'd found a number of dresses in mostly white or green with a plum-coloured outfit somewhere in the pile, and was being led to a small room at the back of the shop. Before Risa closed the door behind herself and Lenalee, Allen caught a glimpse of a mirror; was it… was Lenalee planning to…

Lavi noticed the merboy's wide-eyed look and gave a lecherous grin. "Yeah, she's changing in there, all right. Right down to the undergarments."

The look on Allen's face revealed his thoughts of the moment: _Isn't that _indecent?!

"Well…" Lavi frowned. "She's not showing her body to men, right? Just Risa, to help with adjustments and things like that. Anyway, how else would she know if it fits? Haven't you ever gone shopping, Allen?"

Allen's face went dark with another humiliated blush. Of _course_ such a thing would be necessary. He'd never been dragged along on one of Road's excursions, so he'd always somehow assumed that women just magically knew these things.

"I'm not sure about this," Lenalee announced suddenly, stepping out of the stall and twirling around for her audience to see. It was the plum gown – no, calling it a gown may have been incorrect, Allen realized, as it was no longer than Lenalee's usual attire. The short sleeves and skirt length would have provided great relief in the summer weather despite the dark colour of the dress itself, which was clearly meant to be loose yet managed to cling to her body in a mildly suggestive manner. Aside from the shape of the neckline and sleeves, though, Allen could barely tell the difference between it and any of the dresses Lenalee had worn since he'd arrived. "Do you think it's a bit too dark for summer?"

Kanda gave the barest hint of an uncaring shrug. Lavi's formerly sly grin turned innocent, and he gave a thumbs-up gesture when Lenalee turned to face them. Allen, uncertain of how to react, just alternated his stare between the three.

_But doesn't she look the same as usual? And is there some problem with wearing something dark in the summer? Is that the fashion on land?_

"If I may venture to say so, your Highness," Link said politely with another deep bow, "it is a splendidly fitting garment and suits your Highness perfectly."

"Thank you, Link," Lenalee said with a pleased smile and darted back into the dressing room.

Allen turned his dinner-plate-eyed stare to Lavi again.

"Oh, him?" Lavi jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the bodyguard. "He says that kind of stuff all the time."

_And he doesn't…_ Allen drew a heart on the paper and pointed to it questioningly.

"Nah, Link? He's gay." As Allen spluttered silently for a moment, the red-haired boy chuckled. "Common knowledge – obsessed with the king's secretary. Creepy man, but…" Lavi shrugged and sighed sadly. "No accounting for taste sometimes."

Allen nodded slowly, glancing warily at the bodyguard. Until he saw that secretary for himself and could be reassured that the man looked nothing like the merboy prince, he'd keep his distance.

A few moments later, Lenalee waltzed out of the fitting room in one of the white dresses. The previous exchange was repeated, as it was every time Lenalee reappeared in a new dress. Eventually, she and Risa emerged from the room with the entire pile draped over the shopkeeper's arm and Lenalee dressed in her original ivory garment.

"I'm buying them all," she said sheepishly to the four teenage males. "Everything looked so nice, and I haven't been out in so long…"

"No need to make excuses," Lavi told her. "But… those are going on top of the carriage, right?"

Lenalee frowned. "Are they? I didn't think of…" Her eyes swung over to a suddenly nervous Allen. "You're all right with holding them, right, Allen-kun?"

How could he refuse that devious smile? Lenalee may have been feigning innocence, but she was certainly quite-

"I'm not sitting across from him this time," Lavi said quickly.

"Che."

Lenalee glared at the boys over her shoulder as she went to take the bulging shopping bags from Risa. "No one forced you to come along. Oh, thank you, Risa, these are _wonderful_, thank you so much…"

_Lavi's hormones did_, Allen thought, smirking at the historian apprentice.

Fortunately for Allen, he was spared from having to carry the seven shopping bags after all; as the five departed the store, Risa curtsying behind them and telling Lenalee how kind her Highness was, the carriage driver appeared to help Link pack the dresses into the compartment. Meanwhile, Lenalee led her companions to the next destination, another clothing shop only with a black-and-white awning over its door and windows.

"It's for you," Lavi murmured under his breath to Allen, as if the white-haired boy hadn't figured it out already. "But for her to pick this place… You must've really made a good impression on her, huh? I don't even get paid enough to shop here."

"Che. Like hell you don't."

_Good impression, huh? …Like falling unconscious while trying to save her life? _Allen pushed the embarrassing memory out of his mind and entered the store only to be greeted by a short, curly-haired man in a strangely casual outfit. (It almost looked like pyjamas…)

"Good morning, sir," the man said, peering up at Allen through a pair of ridiculously large glasses. "Her Highness has asked me to take care of you for now." He too bowed, then turned to the rest of the store. "If you would follow, please…"

"Go on." Lenalee nudged him gently in the shoulder. "Johnny's one of the best tailors in the city. I'm sure he'll find plenty of nice things for you, Allen-kun. He's the one who designed what Kanda's wearing right now, and most of Lavi's coats."

_Liar_. Allen frowned at Lavi, then followed the tailor to a rack of clothing. What followed would later be remembered as a blurry whirlwind of motion: Johnny shoving garment after garment into his hands, then whisking him away to a mirror where Allen would hold them up in front of the reflective image while the bespectacled man took his measurements. Johnny was constantly giving signs of approval or disapproval, from head gestures to shouts of joy or disgust to snatching the piece out of the boy's hands and tossing it somewhere. The entire time, the man – kept – talking!

By the time he was led out of the shop, at least ten bags in his hands and Lenalee and Lavi's hands on his arms, Allen was so dizzy he nearly collapsed on the cobblestone street. Behind him, he heard a faint echo of Johnny's voice; it sounded something like "Come back soon, okay, Allen?", but in this state, Allen could barely process the words.

"See?" Lenalee was saying – to him? "Isn't Johnny spectacular at his job? And your new wardrobe cost so little, Allen-kun! I think he's taken a liking to you!"

_Has he,_ Allen thought, dazed.

"You looked great," Lavi told him. "Or you will, anyway. Some people, you know… just like that… look good in anything."

"Che. Waiting was fucking _boring_, beansprout."

Ah, Kanda. The perfect way to deflate a slightly swelled ego, not that Allen really had one after living with twelve older brothers and sisters for five years.

The shopping bags were snatched from his hands, and Lenalee led Allen by his sleeve down the street, closely followed by Lavi and then Kanda. This paved path was large enough to accommodate at least… three carriages, Allen suspected, and even have some room on either side for pedestrians. It opened into an even larger square not a five minute walk from the carriage. A fountain carved into the likeness of a mermaid – Allen almost choked at the image; not only was the scaly fish-tail rather inaccurate to reality, but her body was completely bare! Was this truly what humans thought of his kind? – sat firmly in the centre, and around it, people went about their business. Children played, women gossiped, humans of all ages swarmed tiny portable stands around the square to buy all sorts of things. Allen saw many items he'd once collected in his cavern; to find they were mass-produced when he rarely had more than one copy came as something of a surprise.

"Lenalee, Lenalee! Can we get something to eat?" Lavi sounded like a small child begging his mother for a dollar or two; Lenalee's patronizing smile did nothing to dismiss the image.

"There's an ice-cream store over by those puppeteers. Allen-kun, you've never had ice-cream, have you?"

Allen shook his head; whatever it was, though, it sounded delicious.

The five teenagers – Link had caught up to them by now – wandered over to the shop entrance. Its awning was a deep red colour, and when Allen looked through the window, he could see that the store was full of humans of all ages. Families, though, were the most common: a mother and father with a few small children.

_Mana… We were a strange family, weren't we?_ Come to think of it, Allen realized, he'd never had a mother. With Mana, it had been just the two of them, and he'd always seen the Noah as siblings. It wasn't exactly that way; Sheril had technically been Road's father, but Allen was of the age where the man was merely a brother with many years between the pair. Sort of like Komui and Lenalee, now that he thought about it; the King must've been about Skinn's age, if not a little older.

"…so can you and Kanda buy some for Allen-kun and I?" Lenalee was telling the three older boys. The others were standing by the door to the shop, a few metres away from Allen. "Link, would you mind going with them? No, Lavi, I'm not trying to get some time alone with him! …Fine, I can go buy some myself-" Lenalee sighed and shook her head wearily. "_Thank you_, Lavi. I'm just telling him about the city; there's no need to get nervous."

Lavi muttered something incomprehensible and strode into the ice-cream parlour as Link held the door; Lenalee made her way over to Allen, who was now staring at the puppet-show with interest sparkling in his silvery eyes.

"Sorry, Allen-kun," she murmured, coming over to stand next to him. "Lavi's just being a bit overprotective. He doesn't know you as well…"

Allen nodded brightly, then turned back to watch the show. Lenalee smiled and followed suit.

"You know about puppets…" she began slowly, eyes flicking over to Allen for a response: affirmative. "Did they have shows fairly often down… where you came from?"

Allen shook his head and reached for the notepad. As he was engrossed in the show while writing, the letters were sloppier than usual.

_I travelled a lot with my father, but it was nice to see them on the streets sometimes._

Lenalee giggled softly. "It must've been fun. I spent most of my childhood in the palace, so…"

Allen gave her a sympathetic look; he knew something of that lifestyle. Lenalee didn't catch its significance, however, being unaware of Allen's background.

"It's cute," she said a few moments later. "Even if they're for children, I don't mind watching at all."

_It's very enterlining. Entertaining._

Lenalee couldn't help but laugh at the spelling mistake.

As it turned out, ice-cream was an amazingly delicious food; yet another reason, Allen discovered, why the human world was superior to the mermaid one. Under the sea, there was no ice-cream! He could see no logical reason for its failure to transcend cultures, but Allen mentally added it to his List of Things He'd Miss Upon Returning Home. Perhaps he could provide the idea to some intrepid entrepreneur underwater.

The day was long and quite painful for the poor merboy in the end, but on the journey back to the castle, all the teenagers could do was reminisce about the wonderful day they'd had and laugh at the mishaps and amusements that had since become fond memories.

Well… that, and complain about the lack of room to breathe from all the shopping bags.

* * *

"And now," Lenalee said, plopping the aforementioned bags down on Allen's bed, "you try them on."

Now that he was awake and unhurried, Allen managed to take a good look at the room he'd been given the day before. The walls were covered in a pale blue paper, a stripe of cream-coloured seashells decorating the space where walls merged into ceiling. There were a pair of large, white doors leading to a balcony overlooking what was indeed a spectacular view of the ocean and the sandy path leading to it. When Allen had a closer look later that night, he'd discover that it was the exact same spot where he'd washed onto land twice before. The curtains were heavy, and darker blue; the carpet was cream-coloured. All the furniture, however, was made of unpainted wood of a light brown hue, including the bed-frame.

Allen noticed, to his great relief, that someone had replaced the ink-stained bedcover.

"Here." Lenalee had pulled out a white shirt nearly identical to the one he was wearing, although cleaner and with short sleeves. "Go on."

_Go…?_ Allen looked blankly at the princess.

"She wants you to undress and try it on," Lavi explained with a suggestive wink. "What are you waiting for?"

_But… in front of a lady! That's… that's… _Allen spluttered mutely, gesturing to Lenalee. _I can't-_

"I can leave when you need to check the trousers," Lenalee conceded, "but I'd _really_ like to see how your new clothing fits, and I don't trust Lavi to know what's popular these days."

"Hey!" Lavi objected. "I happen to be a very stylish man."

"Who gets all his outfits from Johnny. Now, come on, Allen-kun, please remove your shirt."

Allen gave Lavi a sceptical glance. Lavi merely nodded and moved to sit down on the bed next to the bags. Lenalee followed, bouncing gently as she beamed happily at Allen.

With a resigned sigh, Allen unbuttoned his shirt. In front of any woman, this would be bad enough, but a princess-

And suddenly, his eyes fell upon his gloved hands, and another reason suddenly popped into his mind.

Quickly, Allen pulled the sides of his shirt together and gestured for the pair to leave. When he received no response, the merboy turned his back to the others and glanced over his shoulder, irritated. _Go ahead! Please leave!_

"Allen?" Lavi frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

"Allen-kun, if you're so opposed to the idea…"

_BOTH OF YOU!_ Allen made a swatting motion; it was quite rude of him, but he was feeling more than a little desperate right now.

"Allen-kun?"

"Lenalee," Lavi said slowly, "something must be wrong with him."

The princess touched his right shoulder gently. "Is everything all right, Allen-kun?"

Allen gave her a reassuring smile and nodded towards the door.

"Geez, Allen, nothing wrong with going shirtless in front of other guys! You're going to have trouble in the baths tonight." Lavi smirked and went to stand in front of Allen. "They're not private."

The mer-prince's face was growing uncharacteristically red with embarrassment. _Please, Lavi! Just leave!_

"He's right, you know," Lenalee added, stepping next to Lavi. Allen's eyes were firmly fixed on the floor. "Allen-kun, if you're so embarrassed about something… it doesn't matter to us, really."

"Not that you'll be easily able to hide it. 'Sides…" Lavi grinned. "It's not like you're visibly… _inconspicuous_."

Allen cringed; indeed, his prematurely white hair and facial scar were often more than enough to draw attention to him. A sharp gasp came from Lavi as Lenalee elbowed him in the gut and began to berate him for being inconsiderate.

_Well, if that's true… Lavi will find out eventually, and I somehow doubt he'll keep his big mouth shut after seeing _that…

Neither human noticed Allen's hands moving quickly, button after button coming undone until finally the material hung open in front, exposing a strip of toned torso. Allen silently pulled off his right glove, then the left, before sliding the shirt off his shoulders. As it fell to the floor, the other teenagers turned to face him, wide-eyed.

There was a brief pause before Lavi said, simply, "Oh."

He was undoubtedly referring to Allen's exposed left arm. Three-quarters of it was a deep red colour, turning into darker stripes that swirled around his upper arm and shoulder and forming a tattoo-like image of what almost looked like arrows on his chest. Allen's hand was rough and cracked, a four-pointed golden star – no, a cross – embedded into the back of his hand. The joints in his fingers were visible and rough, forming jagged edges when he bent his fingers, and the fingernails were completely black.

Allen cringed under their gazes, left hand unconsciously creeping behind his back. He knew he shouldn't have expected any other reaction, but somehow…

"Can I see?" Lenalee asked softly, reaching for his hand and taking it in both of hers before Allen could respond. Her fingers stroked lightly over the back of his hand, then his fingers, tracing lightly over bones beneath. "It's…"

_Weird?_ Allen suggested half-heartedly, aware that Lenalee couldn't see his lips move. _Disgusting? Creepy?_

"…Interesting." Lenalee let his hand fall to his side and straightened, meeting Allen's eyes. Her violet eyes still showed a faint residue of her surprise, yet no negative emotion whatsoever. "Were you born that way, Allen-kun?"

"It's kinda cool," Lavi added, leaning closer to peer at Allen's hand curiously. "Wonder what that old man would have to say. I've never heard of a human with a birthmark remotely that size, or so finely detailed. No other human, anyway."

Allen's lips twitched in a wry smile; most likely, _no_ human had a deformity quite like his.

"No wonder," Lenalee murmured, sparing his arm one last look before directing her attention to something far more important. "So are you going to dress yourself or will this lady be presented with the view of a man's naked torso for another few minutes, Allen-kun?"

The merboy blushed deeply, visibly turning red to at least his shoulders as the thought occurred to him. Lavi watched with a sly smile as a visibly flustered Allen grabbed the new shirt and pulled it on. It wasn't until the buttons had been done up and Lenalee had begun to primp the collar that the obvious problem presented itself:

Short sleeves.

Somehow, Allen had been so overwhelmed by his shopping experience that he'd failed to think ahead back when the garment had first been purchased.

"Well…" Lenalee chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "It'll be summer soon. No sense in wasting it, right, Allen-kun?"

Allen gave her a look of disbelief. _My arm?_

"What about it?" she asked innocently. Allen sighed and let his head fall into his bare hands. "I'm sure no one will notice, Allen-kun… not after the first time, anyway. No one stares at your scar anymore, and it's only been a little more than a day."

The notepad was put to use again. _What about that one servant? She's been staring at me ever since I arrived here – last night – when we got back-_

"Who?" Lenalee asked with a frown.

It took Lavi a moment to remember that there _had_ been a curious maidservant on their way to the dining hall the night before. "You mean Rou Fa?"

"Black hair in braids, glasses, about shoulder-height…" Allen nodded. "Strange," Lenalee muttered. "I wouldn't expect it of her."

"Ah…" Now Lavi remembered the situation clearly. "Allen, I don't think that was because of your scar."

_Really?_ Allen's furrowed brow told Lavi he still believed otherwise. _Why would you say that?_

When Lenalee repeated the question, looking far less pessimistic, Lavi sighed wearily.

"Allen," he told the younger boy with a patronizing pat on the shoulder, "one day, you'll grow up and realize that when someone is very attractive, people of the opposite, or sometimes the same gender will want to make babies-"

Lavi got a fist to the stomach for that one.

* * *

No one could possibly have expected Allen to know his way around the castle after only two days, one of which he was out in the nearby city for half the morning and nearly the entire afternoon. That was why Lenalee had assigned Lavi as a guide after dinner that night; only Link was under the belief that Allen required constant supervision, but without help, Allen probably wouldn't have found his way back to his room for a few weeks – if he ever did. Lavi certainly _looked_ like a good choice, particularly when the only other options were Kanda and Link.

Regretfully, Lavi proved Lenalee wrong when, five minutes later, a beautiful maid crossed their path. Within moments, Allen found himself forgotten as the red-haired boy proceeded to seduce the young lady and sweep her off to some closet nearby. Allen was left alone in a castle he barely knew with not a single person around to give him directions. What else could he do but wander off to look for some help?

After ten minutes had passed, Allen knew he was lost. He hadn't seen a single person since the maid had appeared, and his new feet had taken him to a part of the castle he was completely sure he'd never seen before. The sun had set hours ago, but not all the lamps in these corridors were lit, leaving Allen only the eerie glow of moonlight through corridor windows to help him find his way around. He thought this might be the third floor – when he'd looked through a window, the beach had been visible a few stories down; was his own room directly above him? – but Allen had long since lost track of the smaller staircases he'd traversed, or the slight ramps that he may or may not have been aware of as he walked over them. All he could do was keep walking, hoping that he might soon stumble across something familiar, or at least a sign or human that could help him find his way back to that large courtyard near his bedroom.

Allen let the fingers of his right hand run lightly along the wall as he walked, the smoothness occasionally interrupted by a small ridge where a door began or ended. There were numerous doors along this corridor, and Allen could only imagine the kind of rooms behind them. For all he knew, they could contain gold flowing from treasure chests, or torture implements strung along bloodstained walls, or they could lead to twisting, never-ending corridors that one could never escape from. The truth was far more simple (a music room, a sitting room, a few bedrooms), but at this time of night, the lonely Allen could let his imagination wander a bit.

The corridor abruptly ended at a pair of gilded doors in the shape of an arch; they were both ajar, leading to a large, darkened ballroom. The tiled floor bore a sun-and-moon pattern in cool colours, silvers and greens and muted gold, highlighted by the moon's rays pouring through floor-to-ceiling windows. As Allen stepped forward, he noticed the corridor actually made a sharp right turn; the ballroom was situated at a corner of the building. However, his attention was mostly on the shadowy figure inside, its graceful movements visible only by the silhouette whenever it crossed a ray of light. It looked strangely familiar-

As Allen approached, the figure halted. "Allen-kun?" came the soft call.

By now, Allen was close enofugh to identify the person revealed by the moonlight: Lenalee, dressed in the same short outfit she'd been wearing earlier at dinner. Her feet were bare. With an embarrassed flush across her cheeks – had she hoped for some privacy? – Lenalee crossed the floor to meet Allen halfway.

"Allen-kun," she murmured, somewhat out-of-breath, "what are you doing here? Wasn't Lavi supposed to take you back to your room?"

It would have been too dark to read any message he could possibly have written, but the annoyed expression Allen wore was enough to convey the events leading up to his arrival here. Lenalee gave an exasperated sigh and began to lead Allen to the door.

"Honestly… He's the only one that I trust not to sabotage you, and he runs off with the first pretty girl he sees." Lenalee made a soft 'hmph', puffing her cheeks out cutely. "I don't think there's a girl in the castle that he hasn't approached… within his reach, anyway."

Allen stopped suddenly; did Lenalee mean he'd even flirted with _her_? _That_ womanizer? Could it be… was Lenalee possibly…

The princess must've seen Allen's frightened look, for she shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm afraid I'm not in that category, Allen-kun. Lavi knows as well as anyone in this castle that a princess like me could never be with anyone not of noble blood. I suppose I could carry on a romance with a commoner, or even a lower-ranked noble if I wanted to, but…" She sighed. "It could never be anything more than an illicit romance. Better for both of us if I just marry a prince and produce the kingdom's heir as I'm supposed to, right?"

The thought of Lenalee marrying a prince was almost enough to make Allen choke with an embarrassed blush. As it was, he was about to resume walking when Lenalee said those words, making him stumble. Now that he thought about it, though, wasn't there-

"But there really aren't any out there! I suppose there's Kanda – we've been friends for so long that I think I could bear it – but Brother would prefer that I marry for love, and Kanda's more like another older brother to me than anything else."

Allen scowled. He didn't think _he_ could bear the thought of Lenalee marrying Kanda. It was completely ridiculous, of course; he'd only known her for two days! Then again, he'd only known Kanda for two days as well, and Allen already knew he'd like very little more than to see the man trip over his own ego and break his neck. Even Lavi would be a better choice than-

Lavi! Would Lavi like it if Lenalee married Kanda? For that matter, would Lavi like it if Lenalee married anyone but the historian? Allen may not have been the smartest… what was the term Lavi had used… 'fish in the net', but the Noah had not been immune to romance, and he'd seen his older brothers make fools of themselves enough times to know that Lavi definitely didn't see Lenalee as merely his friend, or a princess.

No wonder, with Lenalee being so vibrant and beautiful as she was…

_Bad thoughts, Allen. She's a human princess and you're half dolphin.__ You're of a different species altogether! Three months. That's all. _

"I guess I'll be taking you back to your room, then, Allen-kun." They'd reached the doors by now. Allen was almost surprised to see how much brighter just a single lamp or two could make the corridor; Lenalee's face was almost completely visible now, her expression showing faint frustration with a hint of happiness. Why would Lenalee be happy? Was she relieved to be doing something other than whatever that activity in the ballroom had been?

Which reminded him- Allen glanced down to her bare feet pointedly. What happened to her shoes?

Lenalee gave him a quizzical look, then followed his gaze, nearly jumping when she noticed what he was referring to. "I left them back in the ballroom," she said apologetically. "I'll just be a moment." As Lenalee turned back to the room, though, she paused. "But if I go in there again," she continued slowly, "it'll be so hard to leave again, now that I know you're here…"

It was Allen's turn to be puzzled. What did Lenalee mean?

The purple-eyed princess turned her gaze to the side as she seemed to think about something, then grabbed his hands – Allen felt heat blossom on his face – and pulled him into the ballroom. "Let me show you."

As soon as his feet crossed the threshold, Lenalee released him to glide gracefully to the centre of the ballroom. Allen followed slowly, unsure of what was coming. Was Lenalee planning to resume whatever he'd interrupted? She wasn't happy about leaving it after all?

"It's dance," Lenalee explained. "I'm guessing you didn't have it back home?" In the moonlight, he could only just make out her lips, twitching in a soft smile.

Allen shook his head. The word was familiar from human texts, but the accompanying images – humans standing close together – meant nothing to him. It did make him curious as to how Lenalee could possibly dance on her own if it was an activity meant for two…

…well, he was here now, wasn't he?

"Dance is…" Lenalee sighed and _twirled_ her way over to Allen again. "It's a matter of moving one's feet – well, one's body, but by moving legs and feet – in a pattern. Usually, there'd be music, but for now, I have to make do with a tune in my head," she admitted. Allen looked down at her feet again; her heels were raised slightly off the ground, and as she spun away again, she raised one pointed foot in the air at a time. "There are different styles, and different dances… different sets of movements to a particular kind of song. I know a few, but it's so much more fun to do it on your own, don't you think, Allen-kun?"

Allen shrugged, then smiled and nodded; he had no idea what Lenalee was talking about, but there was a vibrant energy in her voice when she spoke about dance. She sounded so delighted that he wished it could be like that all the time. He didn't want to disappoint her in any way if it meant the disappearance of that energy.

"Come on." Lenalee reached out to grab his hands again, then abruptly pulled forward, making him stumble. With a murmured apology, Lenalee took his right hand and placed it on her hip (doing nothing to diminish his blush). Her left hand went over his shoulders to rest lightly below his neck while she gripped his free hand in her own. "I won't teach you a specific dance tonight, but for now, it's all right to just enjoy the movement, isn't it?"

With that, Lenalee took a step backwards and to the side, spinning Allen around as he stumbled yet again. She wasted no time in continuing, stepping lightly around him in a circle, then backwards and forwards at varying speeds. Allen found this all to be terribly confusing; his mind was half-focused on Lenalee's hands, and the rest was concentrated on regaining his balance after every step. Soon, though, he began to notice how Lenalee's right hand, entangled with his, moved in the direction she did, only her hand tugged at his just before her body moved. A few minutes later, Allen finally managed not to trip over his own feet, still cautious yet finally a little less unsure of himself. When he predicted Lenalee's backward step, placing his foot down just as her own touched the ground, she gave him a bright smile. The encouragement it gave Allen was enough to make him smile back at her, and – miraculously – initiate the next dance step.

Soon, Lenalee was whirling him around the room, her joyous laughter echoing in his ears as everything turned into a blur of dark colours and moonlight. It was this that kept Allen going, despite the pain that shot up his leg with every step, and his still-common missteps. Lenalee's confidence was almost infectious; Allen had only _had_ feet for two full days and yet he could not help but feel that this simple dance was not beyond him. Besides that, it was actually rather _fun_!

As the two passed by the great windows overlooking the ocean, Lenalee laid her head on Allen's shoulder and sighed softly. Her contented expression soon transformed into a frown, however, before giggles suddenly wracked her body. Allen looked bemused, but Lenalee didn't slow down, and he was too engrossed in keeping up with her to make a questioning gesture.

"Allen-kun," she finally whispered to him, "you kind of need a bath, you know?"

What?! Allen turned his head to his other shoulder and sniffed casually; what did Lenalee mean?

Lenalee laughed again, her breath across his neck causing tiny hairs to stand on end. "You probably don't notice it, but you smell like fish!"

…and there was something wrong with that?

"Go take one with Lavi after this, okay? He'll probably need one after that maid."

The maid… It was probably best that Allen didn't think about what Lavi was doing with that maid when Lenalee's hand was clutching his and her head was on his shoulder, leaving only a short distance between their bodies. Allen had never really been affected by these things, romance and related activities being rather low on his list of priorities (it could interfere with treasure-hunting and money-making), but then again, his life had taken such a drastic turn in the past few days that the confusion he felt was only natural. He'd never thought this way before arriving on land. Was it a side-effect of the potion made by the perverted Cross? Was it just his way of reacting to a new environment?

…and how many times had he thought Lenalee was 'cute' in the week before anything had begun?

So what did all of this mean? It was absolutely true that Lenalee was cute – the thought still found its way into his consciousness even now – but hadn't there been many girls who men would have considered to be equally cute, or even (more) beautiful? Why hadn't he ever thought that of anyone else? And _why_ was Lenalee's close proximity enough to make his heart speed up and his breathing oddly difficult? Why did he blush at her touch, and why, _why_ had the thought of a future with her even become a thought in the first place?

Time for some serious thinking. It wasn't Allen's favourite activity by far (ranked well below eating and sleeping), and as such, he wasn't very good about it, but he really needed to exercise that underused brain right now.

The next few minutes were full of missteps and awkward movements as Allen's mind concentrated on analysing the current emotional situation and comparing it to his experiences with the behaviour of others in the past. A fast heartbeat and a blush could mean that he had done something humiliating and was expecting punishment, as it always had whenever a Noah approached him with an unfriendly look. Thinking Lenalee was cute – that was a puzzle. He knew it meant he found her attractive (what straight male wouldn't? He'd bet even Kanda would admit that much), but why only Lenalee, of all the women he'd ever seen?

The answer came in a somewhat indirect form, through the voice of his unconsciousness, which had apparently decided it was responsible for telling Allen what he should have already known but pretended not to.

_Allen, why don't you stop pretending you don't know? You may not be very good at thinking, but this is one thing you _do_ know the answer to. Just accept it!_

Accept what? He really had no idea-

_That you _like _her!_

What? No, no, that wasn't possible. They were of totally different species; that sort of thing just didn't happen. Besides, for him to develop a crush on a girl after knowing her for two days… well, more like over a week, but… that was completely unreasonable!

Allen sighed; didn't that sort of thing defy reason anyway? So perhaps he had a tiny little crush on Lenalee… it didn't really matter, right? It would never – could never – be anything more. For now, he'd just have to make sure he kept his hormones under control (a seemingly easy task for Allen at this level of his feelings) and make sure Lavi didn't find out. Allen didn't care to face the older boy's irrational, testosterone-induced anger, at least not without some kind of reward or benefit at the end.

Reward- Allen decided he'd stepped on Lenalee's toes enough times that night. He'd better focus on the enjoyable activity of dancing again. The effect of his concentration was so clear that Allen felt Lenalee smile into his neck a few moments later; she'd noticed his improvement.

All good things must come to an end, however, and an hour passed before the pair slowed to a halt and nearly collapsed on one another. Both were panting quite heavily from the continuous movement. Allen slowly slid to his knees, no longer able to ignore the sharp pain in his feet, and Lenalee's hand shifted to his shoulder, using it as a support for herself.

"Well," she finally managed to say, "wasn't that fun, Allen-kun?"

Allen nodded brightly. In all honesty, Lenalee had made it an enjoyable activity; he wasn't sure if he would have been interested in dance had she not coerced him into the first few steps, or provided the encouragement he needed to continue. For that matter, Allen doubted he'd even continue dancing without Lenalee as his partner. At heart, he was still a merboy who belonged in the ocean. He may have been rather comfortable with his new legs, but he could never have the same coordination with them as with the tail he'd had for his entire life.

Lenalee pushed herself into a standing position and released her grip on Allen's shoulder and hand. Allen felt a slight sense of loss as the warmth faded, the memories of her palm against his, her fingers entwined with his, flooding his mind. He got to his feet just as Lenalee was about to offer him a helping hand; when her arm twitched back to her side, Allen thought he could have punched himself for not waiting just a minute more before moving.

"Let's go," Lenalee said softly, and, placing a hand on his arm gently, led Allen to the hallway.

The journey to his bedroom was spent in casual conversation. Their voices were low, for people were asleep even at this time of night, yet Allen could not help but be aware of how happy Lenalee sounded whenever she spoke. Even her expressions were a little more animated than usual. Dance, Allen realized, was her passion; Lavi had spoken of how Lenalee enjoyed nothing more than taking care of small animals, but even if that had been the truth and not simply a metaphor for Lenalee's kind disposition (Allen hadn't realized until he'd asked about the different kinds of creatures earlier that day and Lenalee hadn't understood the question), Allen had to wonder if Lavi had ever seen Lenalee dance.

After all, that was when Lenalee became the most beautiful thing on this earth.

…He really did like her, didn't he. Allen could only sigh, knowing it to be the unmistakeable and absolute truth.

* * *

"Ew…" Lavi wrinkled his nose as he walked past Allen. "You kinda smell like fish, Allen."

_So I've been told._ Lenalee had caught her childhood friend escaping on the courtyard staircase, and, remembering what she'd told Allen earlier that night, seized the opportunity to make Lavi take some responsibility for the younger boy. Despite the late hour, Lavi had reluctantly led him to the baths, just a few minutes away and a few floors down from the courtyard.

The baths themselves occupied almost the entire floor, from what Allen could see. All the rooms, even the entrance and changing rooms, seemed to resemble Cross's magical cavern, with the walls and ceiling cut from a light-coloured rock and the floor composed of large white tiles. As Lavi had said earlier, the baths themselves were not private; for that matter, they weren't even all for single genders! A red-faced Allen had immediately dragged Lavi to a large pool near the wall closest to the men's changing room as the older boy fussed about not being able to share with the ladies.

"So? What're you waiting for, Allen?" The merboy was standing hesitantly at the edge of the round pool, staring at its depths as though he were afraid of what might happen if he entered. "It's just a warm bath. Sure, there have been other guys in here, but that's nothing to be afraid of. Their germs won't harm you."

Allen nodded slowly, unable to tell Lavi the real reason he was reluctant to enter: he didn't know what a bath _was_.

Of course, mermaids liked to keep clean, but this was accomplished by something resembling a modern-day shower. Fast-moving water was pumped from one end of a room to another, horizontally or vertically, and a merperson could wash their hair, or hands, or whatever else they wished in that stream. The soap, or shampoo, or whatever cleanser was used simply disappeared down the pipe at the other end for purification. Allen had gathered from the comments about his smell that this was the purpose of a bath, but the thought of cleaning oneself in stagnant water was quite disgusting to someone who had lived their entire life under similar conditions. (Machines controlled water circulation in mermaid houses, actually. Without a fresh supply of oxygen moving past their gills, mermaids could suffocate in their sleep.)

The white-haired boy's reflection was interrupted at the feeling of dampness on his bare feet. Lavi had happily slid into the water moments earlier with little care for what happened to the water he displaced. It had ended up splashing onto Allen. Those few droplets, though, made Allen shiver with anticipation; he'd been away from water, his _home_, for a day and a half now. The mere feeling of liquid on his bare skin was enough to ignite a burning passion to return, to slip under the surface and enjoy that nearly weightless feeling as he-

"You coming in, Allen? Water's hot."

Oh heck yes, he was. Allen crouched down at the edge of the pond, then swung his legs out from underneath him to sit on the edge of the pond. Slowly, he immersed one toe in the water… it was far warmer than he was used to, but his natural environment nonetheless. Allen pushed himself forward and into the bath, accidentally splashing Lavi, and sank down into the relaxing warmth.

Well, it wasn't home, but it would do. Allen only now realised how much he'd longed to return to the ocean in the short time he'd been on land. When would he have consciously become aware of it – in a few days, weeks, or not at all? What would have happened if he'd been stretched to that breaking point? He was lucky these 'baths' were here; Allen suspected that thanks to them, he could hold off that need for a much longer period of time, perhaps even for the three months he'd be on land.

Allen sighed noiselessly. Lavi must've seen the content look on the merboy's face, for he chuckled softly and muttered something along the lines of "I told you so". Allen was in too good of a mood to respond. He felt a little weary from the long day, and the wandering, and the dancing – he blushed at the memory of it, but Lavi seemed to take no notice; the heat from the baths caused one's skin to turn red anyway – and that feeling only intensified in the warm water. He could relax here…

Somehow, as his silvery eyes shut and his breathing slowed, Allen's head slipped under the surface of the water. To the merboy, this was merely a fulfillment of his need for a watery environment. His gills flared; there was less oxygen in this stagnant water, but Allen was the first creature to draw on it, so his breathing wasn't at all impaired. To the ignorant Lavi, though, Allen looked as if he were about to drown while somehow unaware of the fact.

For a brief moment, Lavi had been caught in a fantasy about some pretty maid, blissfully ignorant of the world around him. His half-open green eye roamed over the room, unfocused. Everything seemed normal…

Wait a moment. Hadn't Allen been sitting next to him just a minute ago?!

Lavi gasped his friend's name as he spun around, flailing his arms in the hopes of striking a solid human body and finding the boy. Due to the small size of the bath, this was relatively quick. He grasped a handful of white hair and pulled sharply, bringing Allen's head above the water. At the feeling of cold air on his face, Allen's eyes shot open and he inhaled reflexively, sending water down his throat. Unfortunately, Allen's choking was mistaken for evidence of drowning by Lavi.

"Allen!" Lavi released his grip on the younger boy's hair and settled for holding his shoulders up against the stone sides instead. "Allen! You okay? Can you breathe?"

Allen nodded, somewhat irritated that his relaxation had been interrupted. It took him a moment to remember that he'd been completely submerged and that Lavi wasn't aware of his natural ability to breathe underwater. He forcibly transformed his scowl into an appreciative smile.

"That's good," Lavi breathed, leaning back against the side of the bath. "I thought you were a goner there, sinking below and all that… Then again, you survived being washed up on the beach yesterday, so…"

Smile and nod, smile and nod. Allen's attention was all on the wonderful feeling of being immersed in water again.

"…worried, and- hey, Allen." The red-haired boy was frowning at him. "What's up with your neck?"

_My_- Allen clapped a hand to the side of his neck, flinching. Had Lavi noticed-

"Is that another injury?" As he leaned closer, Allen scooted away just a little. "There are _cuts_ in your neck! How'd you get those, Allen?"

Lavi reached out to touch the gills; Allen gently smacked the inquisitive finger away, smiling a little too innocently. _Nothing. It's nothing. Nothing at all!_ If Lavi found out now…

"Hm. I guess it's nothing. Piece of floating wood or something and it just hasn't healed yet, huh?" Lavi gave a semi-forced laugh; Allen smiled back weakly. It wasn't the truth, but if Lavi believed it, all the better for him.

Fortunately, Lavi chose to change the subject at that moment: "So what's up with Kanda, huh? Guy's got a stick up his ass the size of-"

Despite Allen's muteness, the two boys somehow managed to carry on a conversation for the next fifteen minutes or so. By the end of it, Allen felt almost revitalized; there was still a deep weariness that told him he'd collapse into dreamland the moment his head touched a pillow, but laughing and joking with Lavi had given him the energy to make it to his bedroom in the first place.

"You know…" Lavi gave Allen a wry smile, leaning back against the edge of the bath with his elbows resting on the floor tiles. "You're a pretty good guy."

_Hmm?_ Allen glanced over lazily.

"I admit I had my suspicions about you earlier, but… now that I think about it, they seem kinda stupid." Lavi chuckled softly. "Seems that you really are just a street kid who saved Lenalee's life and ended up being the recipient of her kindness."

Technically, Allen wasn't a street kid anymore, and there really was more to the story than that, but he decided not to share it with Lavi. Not only was the notepad back in the changing room with his clothing, Allen still didn't trust the historian apprentice to keep quiet about something like this. Lavi was a good guy, but…

"_So_ I guess I'd better lighten up when it comes to you 'n Lenalee, huh?"

Allen did a double-take. _What!?_

"Well… Lenalee's normally trusting and all, but with you, it's like…" Lavi's face scrunched up tightly as he searched his brain for the right words. "Like you two have known each other for more than just a few days. I was worried, but…" He shrugged, then waggled a finger knowingly at Allen. "I ain't supervising you anymore on that, so it's up to you to keep it in your pants, got it? Er… towel."

The white-haired boy failed to understand.

Lavi lifted one arm off the edge of the bath and ran a hand nervously through his thick red hair. "What I'm tryin' to say is… you two are both really good people, so I don't want you getting hurt at the end of all this. Lenalee's a really great person, and I want the best for her since… since I can't do it myself…" Allen was reminded of his earlier thoughts about Lavi; it seemed he had judged the older boy's feelings quite accurately. "But you're pretty decent yourself, Allen. It would've been so much easier to keep you away from her if you hadn't been, but…"

Allen's brain still couldn't make sense of what Lavi was saying. Did he mean-

"I'm rambling, huh." Lavi grinned, nodding at the somewhat confused look Allen wore. "I guess all I really want to say is that I understand. For any other guy, I'd be making sure he didn't get within ten metres of Lenalee, but I like you." He swam closer to the merboy. Allen shifted awkwardly again; he knew Lavi didn't mean _that_… he hoped, at least… but it was still an uncomfortable moment. However, Lavi just clapped Allen on the back in a friendly manner and smiled at him warmly. "So if anything happens… treat her well, okay? And try not to get too close for your own sake."

Silver eyes widened sharply. No… he couldn't possibly mean…

"Well, that's that," Lavi muttered, looking slightly embarrassed at what he'd just said. With a sheepish smile, the older boy stood and climbed out of the bath, adjusting the damp towel around his waist with one hand. "You ready, Allen?"

Allen nodded and followed Lavi out of the bath, mourning the loss of the water the moment cold air touched his bare skin. As he dried himself off manually (for the first time in his life), Allen couldn't help but review Lavi's words over and over again in his mind. He couldn't have meant it. No way. Impossible.

…Had Lavi really given his permission for Allen to like Lenalee? And if Lenalee somehow ever liked him back-

_N-not that it would ever happen_, Allen told himself. It was absolutely impossible.

But maybe, he thought, sneaking a peek at Lavi as the merboy pulled a loose black shirt over his head, it might not be so unrealistic after all, not if Lavi thought something might happen.

_Thank you, Lavi. I know how much you like Lenalee, and how much courage it would take to say what you did – to give her up – to someone else. _Allen didn't think he had that kind of courage. If he had, he'd probably be supporting Lavi right now in his… well, he'd be supporting Lavi to make an effort to get Lenalee.

Then again, maybe he did have something Lavi didn't: an absolute departure date. Whether he liked it or not, he'd be gone in three months, assuming he didn't stay on in the palace as the first exhibit of the royal menagerie. No matter what happened in those three months – Allen's cheeks burned at the mere thought of anything happening at all – he'd be gone in the end. Lavi, however, would remain, constantly torn between his duty, his awareness of how wrong the relationship was; and his feelings, his relationship, with Lenalee. How could Allen condemn him to such a life? Lavi would certainly never do such a thing to him.

_The only way for you to become human is to fall in love._

Cross's words suddenly echoed in his head.

_Just like that?_

_Of course not. Fall in love, marry the girl, and seal the deal. Marriage is always a possibility, right? Three months is plenty of time to get to know a girl._

Allen's blush intensified. He shoved the towel into a laundry bin for the servants to collect as if pushing the thoughts out of his mind. Yes, there _was_ a way for him to stay longer than three months, but Lenalee was… Lenalee was…

…Lenalee was off-limits _to anyone who wasn't a prince._

And Lavi didn't know of his background…

The historian must have noticed the surreptitious glance Allen gave him, for Lavi chose that moment to wave Allen over to the door cheerfully. "You coming, Allen? It's past midnight! Ain't you tired at all?!"

Really, Allen thought as he followed Lavi out of the changing room, Lavi deserved better than those serving maids. And Kanda.

* * *

Whether it was Lavi or Fate, taking pity on him for once, who metaphorically handed him the opportunity gift-wrapped in shiny paper and with a red bow on top, Allen would never know. He wished he did, for throughout the entire night, he was silently sending his benefactor ridiculous amounts of thanks and praise.

Somehow, Lenalee had not been satisfied that she had shown Allen enough of the kingdom two days earlier, and had planned for him to accompany her on a boat ride around a rather small lake a short carriage ride from the sea. It was really the royal family's private lake, surrounded by a thick forest of trees; the area was originally intended for hunting small creatures in both habitats, but Komui and his ancestors had become a peaceful, wildlife-loving group who preferred to enjoy nature in its untouched state. A little cottage had been built by the lake for a single servant and his small family. The mild-mannered man was paid quite well to keep the forest safe from hunters, ensure the continued well-being of the flora and fauna within that and the lake, and occasionally, act as a gondolier when the aristocracy wished for a quiet afternoon on the lake. He excelled at all these tasks.

"It's a secret," Lenalee had told him as the carriage rattled and bounced over uneven terrain, through the forest on a slightly worn path through the trees, and finally coming to a stop just as the lake became visible through gaps between the trees. Hands over his eyes – for Allen was hardly taller than she was – Lenalee led the merboy to the grassy banks of the lake.

It was a miraculous sight that Allen was treated to. The sun had just begun its journey below the horizon, and the glorious colours of the sky were perfectly reflected in the calm lake. Yellows, oranges, purples and reds painted the surface, undisturbed even when a light ripple from a fish or the wind caused a stir in the glassy waters. The dark forest itself somehow managed to sink into the background and become a tame, unthreatening place despite the shadows that lurked beneath branches and leaves. Again, Allen could not help but be struck by how beautiful the world of land was.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" Lenalee murmured behind him. Allen was too stunned to respond, but Lenalee continued anyway. "I reacted like you the first time Brother showed this to me. It was six years ago, but I remember that day as clearly as if it were last week." She laughed softly, the sound ringing melodically in Allen's ears and adding a fitting soundtrack to the scene. "Then again, it hasn't changed at all since then. I could come here on any day at this time of year to refresh my memory if I ever needed to."

Allen nodded, having nothing else to communicate besides awe and gratitude.

At the lake, the servant was waving to them from the tiny dock built in front of his cottage. Lenalee tugged on Allen's sleeve, jolting him out of his daze. "Let's go," she murmured happily. "It's even more beautiful from the lake itself, and Rob really knows how to show off every little bit of the scenery."

Indeed, Rob performed this task perfectly. It was certainly not his fault that Allen's attention was only partially on the calm allure of the sunset on the lake. For that matter, he only felt a tiny pull to the lake itself, and for no visible reason that he could see. Instead, his thoughts had somehow been drawn to the girl sitting in front of him, who was animatedly chatting about this part of the kingdom and its history to the distracted boy.

"…used to be so many chipmunks in the forest. I hope I can show you one before you leave, Allen-kun; they're _so_ cute, but Brother doesn't really like them…"

A flash of silver in the corner of Allen's eye caught his attention; a fish had come to investigate the shadow darkening the seafloor. Allen smiled wryly, remembering how he'd done exactly the same thing just over a week ago. It had been how he'd met Lenalee… As the memories returned, Allen couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at thinking of the people he'd failed to save. He'd seen the black banners hanging from houses in the city, or flowers crushed and dying in a gutter that must have once been part of a funeral mass. Suddenly sober, he reached down to stroke the fish lightly across the back as Rob rowed past.

"That's amazing, Allen-kun," Lenalee commented softly. Allen looked up at her, startled, and she gave a soft laugh. "I've never seen anyone be able to get so close to a fish before, not when it's free and underwater. Is that… something you've done before?"

Allen blushed and shrugged sheepishly. Most fish tended to stay away from the omnivorous mermaids, but they were by no means unfriendly creatures. Some of the smarter ones even allowed themselves to be kept as pets by children or particularly lonely adults.

"Anyway…" Lenalee gave a content sigh and shivered eagerly. "Are you enjoying this, Allen-kun? Sometimes it's hard to know what you're thinking, since you can't speak and you don't usually write out your thoughts… Are you happy here?"

Allen nodded, head bobbing up and down in fast, short bursts. Lenalee looked somewhat unconvinced, to his dismay. How could he convey to her how grateful he was to her? Without Lenalee's kindness, he would be sleeping on the streets, hungry, in the same clothes he arrived in, and probably working hard labour all day while getting picked on or beaten up for being different. He'd never have had the chance to see the things he did, much less enjoy them. He probably wouldn't have made friends, either, and he would never have even encountered Lenalee or Lavi.

All he could do was reach across the boat and take her hands in his, hoping the gesture, along with the sincerity in his eyes and smile, would be enough. Allen still could not help but wish he had the power of speech, though, if only to add just one more way in which he could show her how genuine he was in his gratitude.

It felt strange to him, though. Perhaps that was what kept Lenalee from understanding? Even after a few days of this, accepting so much _still_ made Allen squirm at the thought. Lenalee may have been more than content to be repaid by assurances of his good health and happiness, but the independent Allen found it difficult not to ask what menial chores he could do (not that he'd be very good at them after essentially being pampered for five years – the Noah's lack of kindness offset _that_ guilt fairly quickly) or even leaving altogether and making his own way in life.

And if she expected him to be open with his thoughts and emotions, well… as he'd tried to convey earlier to Lavi, he didn't want to be a burden. Much better to keep everything to himself and deal with it on his own. Even now, not a single thought of confessing his budding feelings for Lenalee entered into his mind, Cross's comments notwithstanding. A relationship with Lenalee would certainly be nice… but Allen didn't know if even Lenalee's intense desire and need for him to be more open could make him change. She shouldn't have to face the problems of his thoughts and emotions.

"Allen-kun?" It certainly looked as if Lenalee had some worries of her own right now. "Allen-kun, you're doing it _again_."

_Doing what?_ Of course, Allen overdid the innocent look just a little too much.

"Don't pretend that you don't know!" Lenalee cried, pulling her hands away from his. Below the boat, a school of fish darted away at the sound of her increasingly loud voice. "I just told you how I hate it when you don't tell us anything, and then you sit back and stare with that sad look you've got without even trying to communicate the problem to me!"

Allen quickly plastered on a gigantic fake grin, although it was a little too belated to remedy the situation. It was also a little _too_ obviously phony.

"I hate it," Lenalee whispered again, a sob bursting from her throat once she finished. The noise nearly made Allen panic. He hated it when girls cried, particularly Lenalee; he had no idea what to do. And in the middle of a lake, too! "I hate it when people are like that! They think that just because I'm a princess I deserve to be put on a pedestal… that I don't need to be weighed down with the problems of my people or the world just because of that… It's all fine for _Brother_, since he's the king, but not for the princess, not her! She can sit on a pretty chair all cut off from the world while they work to make life perfect for her, accepting all her burdens just so she doesn't… she doesn't…"

Lenalee's voice cut out as her body was wracked with sobs. By now, Allen was definitely feeling tense; Rob, standing at the front of the boat, had even turned around to see what the problem was. To the merboy, his questioning gaze felt almost accusing. Taking a deep breath, Allen shuffled over to Lenalee's bench and carefully reached across her back, his left hand curling around her upper arm and pulling Lenalee ever so slightly closer to him. Lenalee looked up at him, her tearstained face showing more irritation than any sign of comfort. It wasn't working. Allen needed to do more.

Allen took a few more deep breaths to calm himself and prepare for what he was about to do. He'd never been this close to anyone voluntarily before, much less a girl he… _liked_, and his movements reflected every bit of awkwardness and inexperience. Allen's left hand slowly slid down Lenalee's arm as he reached across with his right to cover the now unoccupied space. Gently, he turned her towards him and shifted a bit closer so Lenalee's head could rest on his shoulder. He let out the breath he'd been holding once everything was complete… only to nearly jump out of the boat with surprise at the feeling of Lenalee's hand over his heart. She had calmed down by now, although her eyes were still red and puffy from crying and damp trails still marked where tears had fallen.

"It's _okay_, Allen-kun," she murmured, turning her head slightly to peer at his face, although from this angle neither had a particularly good view of the other. "I told you this before, didn't I?"

He nodded, smiling weakly.

"We don't see you as an outsider, Allen-kun."

_Huh?!_ Allen turned his head to face her, making Lenalee sit up in his arms. How did she…?

"That was it, wasn't it?" she realised, a triumphant gleam in her violet eyes. "You don't quite feel as if you belong here, do you?"

_Well…_ If Allen had wanted to move his arms, he'd be rubbing the back of his head nervously right now. _It's not your fault, Lenalee-_

"We'll do better, then," she said, interrupting his vague head gestures and facial expressions. "We'll make it so that Allen-kun can't help but feel like this is a second home no matter what he wants to believe."

Allen suddenly realized Lenalee's other hand had slipped down to cover one of his own. He could feel her warmth even through the thick glove.

"No matter who or what you are, Allen-kun, you'll always be our friend."

He swallowed nervously. Lenalee's words were starting to deeply affect him now that she'd identified a major source of his discomfort with being open. How he wanted to believe in what she said! Yet even if his species didn't matter to her – something he'd known since the first time they'd met – could she really speak for Lavi? (Kanda and Link, at least, probably wouldn't care either. They already disliked or distrusted him as he was right now.)

"You can accept that, right, Allen-kun?" Lenalee asked him.

_Yes_. It was next to impossible for him to do so, but that one word escaped onto his lips before he could even consider what it meant, what it would mean.

_Three months, Allen._

"And if you're worried about what will happen when you… need to leave," Lenalee added, tapping him on the nose playfully, "well, we'll face that when the time comes. For now, it's all right to relax and enjoy life with us! Think of it as a vacation."

A vacation. Hadn't he heard that before, too?

Perhaps they were right, though. If he could relax a little and enjoy this… say, the feeling of holding Lenalee in his arms…

A soft chuckle drifted to the teenagers' ears from the front of the boat. When they glanced over to see the source, Rob bowed deeply and apologized. "Pardon, your Highness, but you two just look so sweet like that, and…"

Like… The sudden realisation that _he was hugging Lenalee_ finally hit Allen, who pulled away, blushing fiercely. As he settled back on his side of the boat, unable to even look at Lenalee – what must she think of him, grabbing onto her like that?! – another light chuckle was heard. When Allen finally raised his eyes to see Lenalee's reaction, he found that she was scarcely less red-cheeked than he was. Not angry, however; if anything, Lenalee's shaky smile indicated that she hadn't minded at all…

_Stop it, Allen!_ he forced his mental voice to say. _Don't misinterpret Lenalee's look just because you'd like it if she didn't mind!_

It seemed like a bit of a stretch, though. Even the most casual observer could have told him that Lenalee wasn't displeased even the tiniest bit.

And if she wasn't displeased… did that mean… she…

"Thank you, Allen-kun," came the whisper of Lenalee's voice, and his head snapped up at the sound, startled out of thoughts he _really_ would prefer not to have. What he found, though, would have been enough to remove _any_ thought from his mind.

There was something about the vulnerable, innocent, yet content and trusting look in Lenalee's large purple eyes that was captivating to Allen. It had only taken a moment for their gazes to meet, yet although he desperately wanted to pull away out of embarrassment, he was frozen. Lenalee had taken over his mind and body, and Allen was unable to do a thing but sit and stare, enchanted.

Slowly, the scene expanded into Lenalee herself, the light of setting sun illuminating her face with a soft glow. Allen's eyes unconsciously wandered over it, taking in her features and committing them to memory. He'd simply never had such a good view of his new… friend. Now, she was facing him, in perfect lighting, and he had all the time in the world to watch. It would be terribly rude of him to actually do so, but manners had disappeared from Allen's mind with everything else, and his unconscious currently preferred the immediate pleasure of looking at something so beautiful.

And somehow – Allen would never know why, for it was such an unfamiliar feeling – his roaming gaze stopped on her lips.

He swallowed nervously, the first sign of movement since he'd looked up a few moments earlier. Like her eyes, those soft pink lips were trembling ever so gently, slightly parted to show just a hint of her white teeth. They looked so-

-so inviting…

Allen found himself leaning forward ever so slowly, gently moving towards Lenalee. The tiniest part of his mind, where all thoughts had been relegated for the time being, screamed at him to stop. Didn't he know what he was doing?! Couldn't he see how wrong it was?

But it felt so natural, so easy, so perfect…

His eyes started to slide shut, and somehow, without looking, he knew Lenalee's violet orbs were disappearing too…

So close-

-and suddenly, the boat lurched to the side, sending Allen flying forward and missing Lenalee's lips altogether. For the second time in three days, he found himself in contact with another very soft and warm object-

_Oh no_, he mentally groaned, despite a large part of his mind thinking otherwise. _Not again._

Allen's suspicions were confirmed when a half-stunned Lenalee managed to nudge him out of his own shock and depression, leaving Allen with enough sanity to jump back to the other side of the boat with enough force to nearly sink it entirely. As he thought, he'd fallen straight into Lenalee's chest _again_. Having been warned before, Allen felt very lucky he got out of this alive – particularly since this came after he tried to ki-

Ki-kiss… Yes, he _had_ tried to… _kiss_ Lenalee… hadn't he?

Most metals would have boiled at the heat coming from Allen's face at that moment.

"Terribly sorry for this, your Highness," Rob murmured, turning from his position at the front of the gondola to apologize with a deep bow. "Something was moving towards us at a ridiculous speed. If I hadn't stopped just now, we could have-"

"We…?" Lenalee repeated, trying to let the fact sink in to her mind. "No, thank you, Rob. Without your fast action, we could have drowned."

It wasn't quite true; Allen was nearly incapable of drowning, and Lenalee was a talented swimmer herself. Even if Rob couldn't even paddle to land, Allen would probably be able to save the man this close to the edge of the lake.

"Your Highness is too kind," Rob demurred.

Allen couldn't help but frown, though. The past few moments had been pushed to the back of his mind for later contemplation (_much_ later, when he didn't have Lenalee sitting so close and provoking confusing and irrational feelings in him), and the odd 'thing' had captured his attention now. What on earth-

The water to his left suddenly erupted, sending a golden flash flying through the air. It hit Allen squarely in the chest, knocking him backwards off the boat and into the lake.

"Allen-kun!"

Aha… the secret of the dangerous moving thing had been solved. It was now perched happily on the merboy's damp head, shaking off any residual water droplets in a doglike manner.

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee asked, hesitantly pointing at the _thing_. "Do you know what that is?"

Allen nodded and swam to the edge of the boat. Lenalee reached over the side and pulled the sopping wet boy into the boat, shrinking away from the puddles of water he left in his path. Throughout this, the golden ball remained happily nestled in Allen's wet white hair.

"So…?" Lenalee prompted once he was settled onto the now waterlogged bench. Rob was looking over his shoulder curiously. Allen reached for his notepad and pen, but stopped once the first drops fell onto the now-discoloured paper; surely, it wouldn't work properly if wet.

In response, Lenalee handed him a small hand-towel tucked neatly under her bench (Allen would always wonder why she had it in the first place – apparently, to dry one's hands in case she reached down into the water to, say, do what Allen had done earlier: stroking a fish's back, or drag her fingers lightly at the surface). Once Allen's now-bare hands had been suitably dried, he responded with one word:

_Timcanpy_.

Lenalee glanced at the note and raised her eyebrows; surely, there was more to it than this?

A sheepish Allen continued. _He's my friend. A golem. I've had him for five years. Tim can't speak, but he can record sounds and images, and he has very sharp teeth._

When Lenalee read the last bit aloud with a hint of confusion, Timcanpy opened its mouth wide. It was the princess's turn to be surprised, nearly jumping backwards into Rob with a soft cry.

_Don't worry! _Allen reassured her with hand gestures and a gentle smile. _Tim won't hurt you._

As if the golem had read its master's thoughts, it fluttered over to Lenalee and snuggled happily into her shorter hair. With what could have been a soft yet silent sigh or burp (Allen couldn't tell which), it curled up and seemed to fall asleep.

"He's… very cute," Lenalee finally said. "Did he… was he with you earlier?"

Allen nodded and pointed to the lake. _Waiting in the ocean_. Which reminded him – he must've left Timcanpy behind when Lenalee found him on the beach! He'd need to make it up to the golem later. Perhaps a nice leftover bone to sharpen its teeth on? Or the entire piece of meat?

"Should I make a little bed for him when we get back to the castle, Allen-kun?" Lenalee whispered, as if to avoid waking Timcanpy. "You'll probably want to dry off and have another bath, so…"

_If he wants – but I think he'd like that_. Allen smiled warmly at Lenalee. She really was so kind and gentle, and… well, _perfect_, even when she was screaming at him or crying in frustration. Small wonder she was so beloved by everyone, from her own people to her close friends. Perhaps falling for her would have been unavoidable anyway.

A thought tickled at the back of his mind: if that were so, then… perhaps Cross had known…

Well, that would certainly explain the smirk on his face whenever the possibility of marriage was discussed. For all Allen knew, Cross could have been planning this!

_Because, Allen, there is one way you could repay Lenalee for all her kindness. Something Lenalee couldn't get on her own__…_

Ah, the blush was back. Right now, though, as Allen listened to Lenalee coo at Timcanpy, discuss her plans to pamper the tiny golem, and hum a lullaby for it, the thought was looking even more attractive than it had the day before.

_Fall in love, marry the girl, and seal the deal. Marriage is always a possibility, right?_

Allen gulped nervously. Right now, that kind of life was _definitely_ a possibility – assuming two things:

First, that Lenalee didn't mind that his legs had been a dolphin tail before very recently.

And second, that the infatuation he was feeling right now would develop into something far more deep by the end of those three months.

Right now, it wouldn't have taken an optimistic attitude to see how incredibly likely both were to be true.

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee breathed, eyes flicking up momentarily to the dozing golem. "Look, the sun's about to set."

And as they watched the glowing orange light fade into the pink-and-blue sky, Allen could only think: _Timcanpy has excellent taste in women, doesn't he?_

A strange thought, and somewhat out-of-place, yet absolutely true.

* * *

That last scene felt really redundant after the previous one in this chapter. I know. I hate it.

So… almost done! Yup, next chapter is the last one, and so I can't make any promises on its length (not that I'd follow them, anyway). Hope you enjoyed this and don't want to murder me.

Oh, and REVIEW PLEASE!! I don't care what you have to say about this chapter; I just want to hear about it. :) You guys are so great at giving them, after all! It's really inspiring. Okay so yeah, review. I want your constructive criticism!


	5. Chapter 4

The Clownfish

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM or the mermaid stuff.

Warning: You might want to wait until you have a couple of hours of free time to read this…

* * *

Chapter 4: Up Where They Stay All Day In The Sun

The morning sun dawned bright and early on a sleeping Allen Walker, sprawled on his back and head tilted into his pillow with silken, silvery strands of hair covering his face. The sight of his calm, relaxed, sleeping face was strangely beautiful; it would have taken all the courage and willpower of even the most cruel person to make it disappear.

Unfortunately, Lenalee Lee's determination and excitement eventually won over her desire to watch that wonderful sight for just a _minute_ more… but she did try to be as gentle as possible in waking him.

"Allen-kun," she murmured, brushing his bangs away from his face gently with one hand. "Allen-kun."

He stirred slightly, but made no further move.

"Allen-kun…" Lenalee placed another hand on his shoulder and shook him slowly, careful to avoid startling him. "Wake up, Allen-kun…"

There was no response except for Allen's mouth falling open a little more.

Well, she'd just have to try harder, then. Lenalee leaned closer to Allen, brushing her lips against his right ear, and breathed, "Allen-kun, wake up…"

The princess was startled by the sudden movement of the now-conscious boy as he bolted upwards into a sitting position, eyes snapping open and staring straight ahead in shock.

"Allen-kun!" Lenalee withdrew, settling herself on the bed by his still-covered legs and placing a hand over her racing heart. "You're awake now…"

The merboy nodded blearily, blinking the remnants of sleep out of his eyes. Lenalee had taken him completely by surprise! Whispering in his ear, her lips so close… that would have caused his heart to race at any time, but of all the days… the morning after he'd nearly…

Lenalee cocked her head curiously, noticing how the faint red pillow marks on Allen's cheek suddenly disappeared as he blushed at the memory. "Are you all right, Allen-kun?" she asked worriedly, cheerful surprise fading into friendly concern. "You haven't gotten sick, have you?! Falling off the boat last night-"

Allen shook his head quickly – _is that what Lenalee remembers about that incident?!_ – although his blush only deepened when Lenalee leaned closer and pressed her palm flat against his head, checking his temperature. Carefully, he wrapped his red fingers around her slim wrist, marvelling at how smooth her skin felt, and gently lifted her hand away… all the while praying for his embarrassment not to show further. Right now, Lenalee was as close as she had been before, when-

"Hmm… are you sure you're okay, Allen-kun?" Lenalee asked, making a move to reach with her other hand before Allen's nervous smile made her pause. "That's good, then," she continued, mimicking his blush to a lesser extent, "because if you weren't, we wouldn't be able to do what I've planned for today…"

_Hm?_ Allen smiled blankly in response, his blush fading.

"Today…" Lenalee was almost shaking with her contained excitement. "I asked the staff about it yesterday, actually, before we left, and I'm _so_ happy the weather is nice today…"

Allen continued to smile, awaiting her response while feeling the wonderful emotions associated with seeing the current object of one's affections be infused with such joy.

"…We're going to have a picnic!"

_Pic…nic… PICNIC?!_ Within the space of a second, Allen's expression faded to confusion and then sudden recognition, eyes falling to the bedsheets before his head snapped up and he stared disbelievingly into Lenalee's excited violet eyes. _With food?!_

"Lots of food," she confirmed. "That's why I had to ask so early – so they could get it all ready for us, particularly you, and oh, Allen-kun, it's going to be so fun! We'll have to carry the baskets – you don't mind, do you?"

Allen shook his head, brimming with Lenalee's contagious excitement now that food had been mentioned.

"I hope you like where we're going; it's on the way to the city, on one of the hills, but quite far from the sea. It's such a beautiful place! My parents used to bring my brother and I there when we were little, and on warm sunny days like this one, I love going there with everyone! Although these days, it's mostly just my brother, Lavi, Reever… and sometimes Kanda," she admitted.

_Reever?_ Allen momentarily struggled to put a face to that vaguely familiar name, but did not succeed. Well, no matter. A picnic with Lenalee at a beautiful, isolated – so he assumed – spot that had inspired nothing but good memories for her… surely, it would be a wonderful morning!

Perhaps even romantic, too… but Allen refused to think about that for the time being. Liking Lenalee didn't mean he couldn't enjoy friendly interactions with _everyone_, after all!

"Everything's already packed," Lenalee told him, shifting a bit closer to the edge of the bed as if to tell him she was planning to get up soon. "It's a bit late in the morning, so I didn't think we'd have breakfast, but since you have such a big appetite, Allen-kun… do you want something to eat before we go? I can tell the kitchens so it'll be ready by the time you've gotten ready…"

Allen nodded, gratitude creating a strange feeling of warmth in his empty stomach. _Thanks, Lenalee. I'll be fast!_ As much as he'd have liked to skip breakfast for the sake of arriving at the picnic faster, and making Lenalee happy, hunger pangs were already chewing their way through his abdomen. The thought of combining that with the pain in his feet for an extended period of time was not a pleasant one.

"Then I'll just go so you can… oh." Lenalee gave a start, then laughed nervously. "Allen-kun…"

_Hm?_ He looked at her curiously, wondering what was wrong.

"Your hand…" Lenalee nodded to the red appendage, blushing with embarrassment again.

_Eh-!_ Allen quickly released her wrist, the red flush returning to his face as he did so. He'd forgotten to let go! And for Lenalee to have to point it out… she must feel at least as awkward as he did at that, but…

"So…" Lenalee smiled weakly in an attempt to reassure him that it was all right. "See you in a few minutes, Allen-kun!"

The merboy nodded and waved as Lenalee departed a little quicker than she usually did, then turned to his pillow again. A round, golden object had made a slight indentation in the fluffy expanse, not too far from where his head had been.

_Timcanpy,_ Allen mouthed, reaching out to stroke it with one finger. _Tim-_

Pain suddenly shot through the appendage as sharp teeth dug into his unprotected skin. Wincing, Allen lifted his arm, the golden golem dangling in the air from his bitten finger.

_Timcanpy-!!!_

The merboy shook his arm in an attempt to dislodge the source of his injury, yet the golem did not budge. Face contorting in pain, he shook harder and harder until finally, the grip loosened – and the force of Allen's still-moving hand sent it flying over into the nearby wall. Timcanpy hit it with a loud smack and slowly slid down to the carpeted floor.

Allen bit down on his voiceless curse as he hopped up from the bed, gasping as his bare feet hit the ground. He promptly fell to his knees and reached for his friend hesitantly, the open wounds and blood staining his fingers a reminder of what could happen if Timcanpy wasn't in a good mood – or awake.

_Timcanpy…_ Allen mouthed, reaching out with one finger again, although at a much slower pace this time. _Tim-_

He saw the flash of white just in time to withdraw, jumping back against the bed as those sharp teeth appeared in the spot where his finger had been just moments before.

The merboy's pale eyebrows immediately slanted downwards as he glared at the grinning(?) golem, restraining the urge to shake his finger at it. Timcanpy slunk backwards, looking almost sheepish despite its exposed teeth.

_That wasn't very nice._ Although he hadn't forgotten about Lenalee, breakfast, and the upcoming picnic, Allen spared a moment to reprimand the golem with a stern look. Timcanpy may have had teeth and wings, and apparent immortality, but he was also eight centimetres in diameter. There was a clear power hierarchy there, and the merboy was on top.

Once the golem's wings had been tucked against his body and the grin had disappeared as it apparently turned towards the ground in recognition of said power hierarchy, Allen was satisfied. He pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the sharp pain whenever his foot made contact with even the soft carpet, and moved over to the wardrobe where Lenalee had put his new outfits from the shopping trip. Immediately, Timcanpy hopped back to his feet and lifted himself off the ground, hovering over to his friend rather cheerfully now that the issue had been resolved.

_What should I wear,_ Allen pondered, sifting through the hanging shirts with his uninjured hand. It was a nice day outside; perhaps one of the shorter-sleeved ones? But then he'd be showing off his left arm to everyone… Lenalee and Lavi had already seen it, but he'd prefer that Kanda didn't get _another_ reason to sneer at him. Perhaps he'd better go for one of the other ones; as it turned out, Lenalee _had_ bought shirts in a variety of styles. Yes, that was probably best. Some of them looked like his old one, too; might as well avoid the obvious comments on wearing his new shirts so soon.

What would they say, though? The only thing he could think of was to go above the obvious gratitude and say Allen had more feelings towards Lenalee than just _that_…

…and they'd be absolutely right…

With a sigh, Allen let his arm fall to his side limply. He liked Lenalee; there was no denying that, and he was sure those feelings would only grow stronger as time passed. Why was he so concerned with what people would think? There was no way he could hide that fact for three months – perhaps from the more oblivious of them, but Lavi already knew, and Lenalee… She _had_ to know, although it would make sense if she didn't, either, considering her recent behaviour. Would she act that way if she knew how he had begun to feel towards her?

So eventually, everyone would find out anyway, if Lavi hadn't told a particularly gossipy maid by now during one of their closet romps. Why should he concern himself with what they thought? Perhaps they'd think it _was_ just gratitude…

And there was the tiny little fact that he didn't have anything else to wear…

He was definitely thinking too much about this, wasn't he? Ah well… he'd heard from some of his older brothers before that such a thing happened when you were in love…

_Love…_ The mere thought of the word caused his cheeks to flush a dark red and his heart to flutter painfully. Shaking his head fiercely, Allen reached out to grab one of the longer-sleeved shirts; he really didn't want to think about love right now! He knew that he liked Lenalee… but it wasn't love yet; it was too soon for that, and, more importantly – _breakfast_!

No, no use in thinking about love just yet. It would inevitably lead to Allen feeling more emotion in a greater variety than he could ever recall having felt, even when Mana died. Right now, he needed to get changed and leave for breakfast before Lenalee came back upstairs, worried at his lateness.

And if she were lucky, she'd arrive just in time to see him changing his pants-

_BREAKFAST._ With that thought in mind, and the sudden presence of the teeth-wielding golem hovering over his shoulder, Allen forced all thoughts of love and romance out of his head – for the time being. As the new topic involved food, this was actually a rather easy task. Nodding determinedly, Allen grabbed the first shirt he saw – long-sleeved, to his later relief – and a pair of generic black pants off the closet hangers and retreated to change out of his pajamas.

It was not long before Allen, dressed in his fresh new clothes and enjoying that feeling one gets from wearing such garments, made his way down the stairs to where Lenalee was waiting for him at the bottom.

"You were fast," she commented lightly, a bright smile touching her lips as she walked forward to greet him. Allen felt his heart grow warm as he noticed it. "And you're wearing the things we got from Johnny!"

_Yeah…_ Allen grinned sheepishly, face heating with his embarrassment at being caught. At least his inner reflections hadn't taken very long, or Lenalee had overestimated the amount of time he'd needed. If he had had to explain where that time had gone… _They're really nice, Lenalee. I'm very grateful to you for this. And Johnny._ Hopefully, she wouldn't notice the late addition by reading his lips and body language instead of hearing the actual words.

And it seemed Lenalee hadn't. She gave a soft, slightly nervous laugh at his comment. "I'm happy you like them, Allen-kun. Um…" Was it just him or was Lenalee blushing ever so slightly? Not that it would mean anything, Allen told himself. Anyone would be flustered when trying to respond to such a statement. "S-shall we go get breakfast, then?"

Allen nodded cheerfully. As Lenalee turned away, just a little too quickly to accurately disguise her awkwardness, the merboy couldn't help but ignore what he'd just thought and indulge in a brief (and very guilty) fantasy that perhaps Lenalee's embarrassment hadn't been purely due to his words…

_Even if you like her,_ his mental voice reprimanded, breaking through his pleasant thought, _that doesn't make it all right to misinterpret things like this!_

The bubble of happiness had been pricked.

_That's true…_ Allen's too-happy grin faded quickly; fortunately, Lenalee hadn't noticed or he might really have been in trouble. Could she have seen anything innocent in that stereotypically perverted smirk, innocent as his thoughts may really have been? …Innocent in that sense, anyway; he certainly wasn't _right_. _If I keep doing this… it might get harder and harder to remember what's real and what's just in my mind later on… _

The prospect of ruining his friendship with Lenalee was a sobering one, and by the time a now-relaxed Lenalee turned around to begin a new conversation, Allen's cheerfulness had dissipated and left him with a somewhat blank, discouraged expression. Naturally, this lack of excitement was one of the _last_ things Lenalee wanted to see on such a day, and, unbeknownst to Allen, his gloom and frustration had spread to the princess through the mere sight of his face.

Had he known, perhaps Allen would have thought it better to risk Lenalee finding out he liked her…

"Allen-kun," she said softly, so quiet that Allen didn't even look up and realise she'd stopped walking until he nearly bumped into her, "If… you don't really want this, I'll understand."

_WHAT?!_ That sudden sentence immediately erased all traces of those guilty thoughts from his mind. What was Lenalee talking about?! What didn't he want?

"I don't mind," she continued, turning around to present him with an obviously fake smile. "If you're not that enthusiastic, I-I… can't do anything about it, so…"

Allen continued to stare at Lenalee with curiosity, not understanding at all. What was he not enthusiastic about? Misinterpreting Lenalee's blush for his own personal pleasure? And if Lenalee was unhappy about that… wait, wouldn't that mean…

The merboy's jaw dropped. _You can read minds?!_

"What?" Lenalee blinked at the sight of his visible surprise. Wasn't it clear what she meant? "Allen-kun, you don't have to pretend-" she began again, wondering if he was feigning the expression to make her forget the previous disappointment. But his shock had seemed awfully real…

Meanwhile, that sentence had only sent Allen spiralling even deeper into confusion.

_Pretend… pretend that I'm not thinking this about Lenalee? Pretend that I don't like her? So she wants me to! Does that mean she likes me? Or do I only wish she liked me? …but that means Lenalee knows, and so… _Allen gave a start, his grey eyes peering at Lenalee with a wide-eyed, scared yet almost happy look. _Lenalee, can you hear this?_

No wonder she'd been so good at understanding what he'd mouthed…

"I…" Lenalee shook her head, puzzled by the pureness of Allen's gaze on her. There was no way he could be pretending there – but what did that mean? She'd better ask him directly: what was he thinking? Or, better yet, did he even understand her question in the first place?! That would explain a lot! "Allen-kun-" she began, shaking her head gently.

_You don't want to talk like this?! _Allen looked crestfallen. _But it would be so convenient…_

"…do you want to go to the picnic?" Lenalee blurted out, face flushing as the last word fell off her lips.

Once again, Allen's mind was immediately filled with a single emotion: confusion. The picnic? What did that have to do with Lenalee being able to read minds? White eyebrows furrowed, he nodded twice, his eyes still on the princess as if searching for a clue as to what _she_ was thinking – some form of reciprocation. This sudden jump in conversation topics was a bit disturbing.

"Oh…" The blush deepened, something that made Allen's heart flutter (and he immediately wondered if Lenalee had noticed through their apparent telepathic connection). "W-well then… it must have been… something else…"

_Something else?_ The metaphorical lightbulb went off above Allen's head. No wonder this conversation had been so confusing! Something must have been blocking the connection; perhaps Lenalee could only sense his worry, and assumed it was something else. And if that were the case, Lenalee's discontent was easy to understand, too. Anyone would feel awkward if they were suddenly deprived of a usual way of receiving information.

_It's okay, Lenalee,_ he mouthed, stepping forward with a warm, comforting smile. _Don't worry about it._ It was probably just a one-time event, anyway. He started to raise his hand, intending to pat her shoulder gently, then decided against it with his hand still in midair.

"Thank you, Allen-kun." Lenalee returned the smile, infused with happiness from her relief at being able to drop the topic. Of course Allen was looking forward to the picnic; hadn't he said so… implied so… back in his bedroom? At the very least, there would be plenty of food, and it was most unlike Allen to not be even the slightest bit excited about _that_. "I think… the kitchen staff are waiting for us. Breakfast should be ready by now!" she chirped, her previous depression having suddenly disappeared. "Let's go!"

Allen nodded again and followed Lenalee through the hallways to the dining room, still completely convinced that Lenalee could read his mind.

Breakfast was the usual affair, with Allen eating enough to feed the other four teenagers for at least one or two meals; the dining room was also where, upon completion of this meal, Allen and Lenalee met the older three just outside the doors. Lavi had donned long shorts for the occasion, apparently to take advantage of the warm weather. Judging from the look on Kanda's face, Allen assumed Lavi had attempted to start a trend – and failed miserably. He momentarily wondered if Link had received the same treatment, seeing as the trio had apparently arrived together; that stony expression could have meant anything. For all he knew, Lavi could have been _this_ close to being thrown out the nearest window – or the guard had just been too embarrassed to strip down to his undergarments in public and the nearest broom closet was in use.

As soon as Lavi's eyes fell upon Allen, they immediately travelled down to the lower half of his body. The historian immediately became crestfallen.

"You too, Allen?" His lower lip trembled with feigned hurt, as if by wearing long pants Allen had somehow intentionally injured the poor boy's emotional state.

Allen couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. _It's not _that_ warm outside._

"Che. See, it was a stupid idea after all." Yet the smug look on Kanda's face was not _quite_ as smug as it could have been, let alone as self-satisfied as anything so much resembling a smile on Kanda usually was. Had that miserable failing not been quite so miserable after all?

"And he's not even wearing short sleeves," Lavi whined, gesturing to the merboy's covered arms with a scowl. "Even that would have been nice! But no! Covered from head to toe!"

"It's not _that_ warm outside," Link muttered, rolling his eyes. Allen was about to nod in agreement, but caught himself – the guard had even used the _exact_ same words he had! Wasn't there a law against that in this kingdom or something?

"I _guess_," Lenalee interrupted, stepping forward to lock arms with Allen and Kanda, "we'll just have to find out, won't we?"

"I've already been out-" Lavi began, only to be cut off by Lenalee once more.

"_We'll find out later_," she repeated, her words and smile offset by the forced tone and gritted teeth that accompanied it. Allen automatically gulped nervously at the strength with which she dragged the two princes through the doors and out the hall, leaving Lavi and Link to catch up, nearly running despite their height advantage (although the advantage was much greater in Lavi's case). He quickly made a mental note not to mess with Lenalee, and wondered if it hadn't already been made and forgotten many times before…

It _was_ a very nice day, and even had Allen not been burdened by the rather heavy pack of food he was carrying, he would have regretted not following Lavi's example and _at least_ wearing shorter sleeves. As it was, he'd already stopped to roll his up to the elbows. Link and Kanda remained stoic and fully covered, although the fair-haired man looked even sterner than usual, particularly whenever he happened to glance at the merprince or Lavi. The historian, for his part, was _not_ helping with the annoying smirk that graced his _oh so punchable_ face every time he happened to glance at any of the three boys.

Which was more often than usual, Allen suspected. More often than it should have been, anyway. Or would that have been 'never'…

Then again, Lavi was also glancing at Lenalee too often for Allen's liking, and whenever that happened, the smirk was replaced with something vaguely resembling both a soft, fond gaze and a leer. And given the option, Allen would _much _rather have Lavi stare smugly at one of the males in the group.

Except perhaps himself. Allen wasn't sure if his jealous fury was quite strong enough to offset the natural feeling of terror at the thought of a _man_ feeling that way towards… towards…

…towards him. As much as the thought scared him, Link and Kanda were definitely better options than Lenalee.

Although… Allen directed a surreptitious glance towards the oblivious guard. With Link being, well… the way he was… and now that he thought about it, he could have sworn there was some hidden sexual tension between Kanda and-

"Allen-kun!"

The white-haired boy gave a start, almost choking when he realised how far ahead everyone else had gotten while he'd been thinking. Which was strange – because hadn't he just been watching Link?

Oh… Link had stayed behind to watch the straggler. With the way Allen's thoughts had been going, that suddenly had a very _bad_ connotation. With a silent yelp, he scrambled up the slight hill the path traversed to Lenalee's side, not even breathing until he felt he was safely by her side and away from any potential threats to his personal space.

_How much farther?_ he mouthed to Lenalee, trying to take his mind off the previous topic. They must have been walking for at least half an hour now, and while the scenery was nice enough, it did get repetitive after a while. This part of the kingdom was a seemingly unpopulated hilly grassland, and the forest and ocean had long since disappeared behind them in a sea of unending green. The sun had almost risen to its highest point, and the heat combined with a lack of shelter had made the trek unbearably warm (Allen was almost pleased to note that Link had followed his example and had begun to tug up the edges of his sleeves). At this rate, the food would go bad!

"Hmm…" Lenalee frowned, her steps momentarily slowing as the calculations distracted her. "About… just another hour, I think."

_Another-!_

The exasperation must have showed in his expression, for Lenalee gave him a sheepish grin, her white teeth shining in the bright sunlight.

"I'm sorry; it must be really difficult for you… and it is a bit of a long walk."

_Diffi- oh, no, not at all!_ Allen tried to reassure her. Of course his feet hurt, and walking for hours with constant pain was hardly pleasant, but strangely enough that wasn't the worst part. Had it been cooler, or had Allen dressed more appropriately for the unusually warm spring day, he could probably have made the trek with only a little difficulty. And for that smile, he would have happily done so. _J-Just another hour, then?_

Lenalee nodded, not entirely convinced, but clearly unwilling to press Allen to admit to anything he didn't want to. As she turned back to the path, however, Allen could have sworn that he heard a faint mumble as she ducked her head – and it sounded suspiciously like "men".

His eyes narrowed to a glare at her disappearing back. So she thought it was a gender thing, did she? Men being unable to admit to their weaknesses? Well…

…she was probably right. But still!

For the next hour, Allen struggled through the extreme heat, weight, and magical pain without showing even so much as a grimace as he matched Lenalee's pace. It was, quite possibly, the most difficult thing he had ever done, besides perhaps drinking Cross's potion and surviving five years under the same roof as his family. Yet the struggle only made the feelings of relief and wonder that much more potent as Lenalee finally stopped at the top of one of the hills and motioned for him to hurry and meet her there.

"We're here," she declared proudly, throwing her arms out to emphasize the magnificent scene in front of their eyes.

As he'd suspected, it _was_ a lovely scene. This must have been the highest hill in the region, and from the flattened top Allen could see the faint sparkle of the ocean in the distance. Even the pale spires of the castle were visible, creating a partial break in that endless expanse of blue. A sea of grass surrounded them on all sides, and as he turned to look behind him, it suddenly changed to the darker green texture of forest. Grey rocks were periodically scattered around the landscape, mostly by those two landmarks. The crest itself was nearly perfectly flat and covered in fresh grass, with flat rocks placed in a vaguely circular formation.

_That can't be natural,_ Allen thought, although he wasn't entirely sure of that fact. It could have been the reason this was such a perfect site in the first place. He could instantly see why Lenalee's family had chosen this as a favourite picnic site despite the distance from the castle. In fact, it was almost as if he could _see_ their images, the shadows of the past, as they enjoyed a delightful lunch and-

"Allen-kun?"

Allen's head snapped around at the sound of Lenalee's voice. The transparent images promptly faded.

"How is it?" Lenalee asked, a hint of nervous excitement in her question. "Do you…"

_It's incredible!_ Allen shook his head, as if to convey the inability of words to describe his awe at the perfection he saw (and it wasn't Lenalee he was thinking of… or not only Lenalee, anyway). _No wonder you wanted to come here…_

"I really wanted to show this to you, Allen-kun," she explained, taking a few steps forward and twirling around in a circle, her feet pattering lightly on the ground as she spun. "I have such good memories of this place, being here with my family and friends… You haven't seen any of these things before, and…"

_Thank you, Lenalee. _After all, he wouldn't be here forever. Why waste time in creating new memories in the short time he had with her? Or… or it was the other way around for Lenalee, right? Yet Allen could understand her feelings perfectly. No point in delaying fun unnecessarily. _I'm really grateful for this!  
_

"I wonder what kind of memories we'll make today," Lenalee murmured softly, so quiet that Allen wondered if he had been meant to hear her at all.

As she spoke, Timcanpy lifted itself from Allen's shoulder and fluttered over to her, the sun glinting off the golden body. The sight of Timcanpy flying playfully around Lenalee's head, combined with Lenalee's words, triggered the memory of the previous evening in Allen's mind. _Making memories…_ A dark blush spread across his cheeks as the memory played itself for him. Timcanpy had interrupted-

There wouldn't be an opportunity to make _that_ sort of memory today, Allen reminded himself as he willed his face to return to a normal colour. Lavi, Kanda, and Link were here today. Unless they somehow managed to disappear and give him a moment alone with Lenalee-

No! No, no, no! He wouldn't give in to such temptation! They'd only known each other for a few days; even if Lenalee _would_ perhaps, somehow, be all right with… with that, things would be moving far too quickly for Allen's comfort. Even if the thought of kissing her seemed nice right now, it just wouldn't be appropriate. He had to move a bit slower. Become a bit closer to her first… maybe hold her hand first… and then he'd have the right to think about moving a little further into the relationship.

Except he had no right at all, being of an entirely different species and destined to separate from her in just three short months.

…A kiss or two probably couldn't hurt, though.

Lenalee turned around to give Allen a curious look – she was surprised at how silent he'd been – and suddenly, another, more recent memory popped into his mind. This one also involved Lenalee, although it was less of pleasant mental time-travel and more of a dangerous fact…

_Lenalee can read minds._

And oh dear god, she was looking his way right now. Hadn't she turned around just when… just after…

The blush was back, more furious than ever. Lenalee knew. She _had_ to. Of course, it had probably been obvious yesterday – even more so if she had known what he was thinking… or not thinking, as it was – but there was no mistaking what he'd thought just now. He'd thought of kissing her someday, and now-

"Allen-kun?"

He stiffened at the sound of her voice. _Y-yes, Lenalee?!_

"Is everything all right? You were awfully quiet just now, and…"

Allen's muscles relaxed by a minute amount. It didn't sound as if she were about to mention what he'd just been thinking, but if she'd heard… _E-Everything's fine, yes! J-just… looking around…_ He turned his head rapidly to either side as an accompanying gesture before facing Lenalee with a tense smile.

"Oh, that's good!" Lenalee breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment there, I wasn't quite sure… you looked so lost in thought…"

_At the scenery! _Which just happened to include Lenalee. But she didn't seem to have noticed… maybe that earlier problem hadn't yet been resolved? Which would mean that she _hadn't_ just heard his thoughts about...

"Oiiii! Allen!"

Ah… Lavi. The perfect person to interrupt his thoughts from going back in that embarrassing direction – and, not coincidentally, perhaps the last person Allen wanted to see at that moment.

"What're you doing up here with Lenalee?" The red-haired boy set down the giant pack of food with a grunt and turned to the pair. "Getting some alone time?" he mused in a suggestive tone, waggling his eyebrows at them.

Allen, having just been thinking about that very fact, had to struggle to keep the blush from moving beyond his cheeks.

"Che. You're just slow, Lavi."

And there was Kanda, right behind Lavi. Allen had to revise his earlier thought: _this_ was the last person Allen wanted to see at that moment (and probably ever).

"You were slower than he was, Kanda," Lenalee pointed out, not even attempting to hide her amusement. As she spoke, Link's head appeared from below the edge of the hill, the last to arrive.

"Exactly! Aww, Yuu," Lavi cooed with fake sympathy, "don't feel bad about being slow, all right? You beat Link, after all…"

Link rolled his eyes. "I stayed behind _on purpose_."

"…Sure ya did, two-spot."

At that moment, Allen wouldn't have blamed Link for wanting to punch Lavi right in that oh-so-familiar smirk. At least it wasn't directed towards _him_ this time.

However, that was no sooner thought than the historian turned back to Allen and Lenalee. "So what _were_ you guys doing while we were catching up, hmm?" he asked, sounding far too innocent for it to be genuine. Behind him, Kanda and Link wore identical expressions of annoyance.

Before Allen had even opened his mouth to respond, Lenalee answered with a perfectly benign activity: "Allen-kun was just admiring the scenery. He hasn't seen it before…" Her cheeks turned faintly pink as her violet eyes darted to the ground, seemingly embarrassed. "I-I didn't actually get an answer, but Allen-kun seemed awestruck…"

So that's what she'd been thinking! Allen nodded furiously; it was true, after all. _It's really incredible,_ he added. _I haven't seen anything like it before._

"Yeah, I guess there'd be no small hills like this in the mountains…" Lavi whistled a long note, looking around at the landscape in front of him. "It's pretty neat, that's for sure. I haven't seen this in a while… not since we went with Komui and Yuu, right? How long ago was that?"

"Che. Don't ask me." Kanda didn't take his eyes off the distant ocean scene even once as he spoke.

"When we went with Brother and… oh…" Lenalee gave a nervous laugh. "Since you came along as a playmate… that must have been five or six years ago… wasn't it…"

"I'd forgotten how pretty it was," Lavi muttered appreciatively, leaning on the food case with one arm. Link quickly set his down once he noticed the action. Had the man really forgotten he was carrying it?! "But I didn't really remember coming here in the first place, either."

"I never really thought about that," Lenalee admitted, turning in the direction where everyone but Allen was facing. "Brother and I have come here so many times since, or I've gone alone…"

Allen's grey gaze wandered to the three men standing at the edge of the hill, and then back to Lenalee, softening as it fell upon the princess again. He wasn't sure why the thought of the others being here before made him feel so… uncomfortable. He'd known they had – someone had mentioned it, or… or it had been obvious in some way – but hearing Lavi mention it had created a pit in his stomach that just wouldn't go away. And somehow, the scenery's beauty had faded just a tiny bit as that thought processed in his mind.

It was no one's fault but his own for taking this so seriously, of course. Just like earlier that morning, he'd unconsciously thought, _assumed_, that he was somehow more special to Lenalee than the others were. The worst part was that his rational mind knew this wasn't the case! Somehow, his new feelings were hijacking his thoughts, his senses, everything he did.

He hated it… and at the same time, Allen couldn't help but wish he could feel the same way he did whenever he looked at Lenalee, spoke to her, thought about her, every moment of the day. Allen had never been in love before, and now he was starting to see what everyone else meant when they spoke of it being the most glorious feeling one could have. This, after just a few days!

_It's only going to get worse…_

"I don't know why I just thought of it now."

Allen gave a start at the soft words, realising a moment later that Lenalee had spoken so quietly only he had heard, and he was sure he wasn't meant to.

"I really wanted to show Allen-kun…"

_Show… me…? Lenalee… does that mean…_

"Look what's happened now! …Damnit!"

Allen and Lenalee spun around in unison to find the source of the shout. Link was bent over his opened food pack, fingers clenching the lid tightly. Lavi was standing over him, peering inside with a wary look. Kanda was pointedly not paying attention.

"W-we didn't expect that…" Lavi gulped and took a step back as Link shot a furious glare at the redhead.

"_Someone should have_," he bit out through clenched teeth. Lavi visibly flinched.

"What happened?" Lenalee mused, walking past Allen to the food case. "Did something happen to the food?"

"What do you expect," Link sniffed, "leaving it unsecured like that in this heat-"

"You had the desserts in there, right?" Lenalee crouched down and reached inside to prod one of the items. "The pies and-"

_The desserts?!_ Allen was at Lenalee's shoulder a split second later. _Are they all right?!_

"Everything looks fine to me," Lenalee said in an uncertain tone. "They might be a bit warm, but…" She poked one of the pies, wincing as her finger sunk into the soft fruit. "I think… they're edible…"

"The pies are fine," Link said coldly, "but some of those desserts are not meant to be eaten warm."

Allen raised his eyebrows warily at the older man. _He really takes dessert seriously, doesn't he?_

"The cookies will be fine," Lenalee answered, sounding even less certain than before. "The cakes… and the other desserts…"

"Whipped cream goes bad in the heat," Link reminded her.

"But we've only been outside for an hour! And besides…" Lenalee prodded a dessert apparently containing cream, for it covered her finger in white fluff. "Itsh shtill cool."

Link rolled his eyes at her response. Lenalee immediately popped the finger out of her mouth and went back to examining the food in the basket.

"It's still cool," she repeated. "It was packed in with ice, after all, and that's only just melted."

Allen nodded and made a move to take the lid from Link's hands. _We can still eat it!_

"Someone's enthusiastic," Lavi muttered, scanning the three at the basket. "Or a few someones…"

Link's glare intensified briefly as he appeared to consider the proper course of action, then promptly slammed the lid down on half the pack, ignoring Allen completely. "If her highness says so, then we shall eat."

"I think he just wants it, too," Lavi muttered to Kanda. As expected, he got no response except a mildly irritated grunt.

"But…" Lenalee withdrew her hands and pulled the lid completely shut. "We'll eat this last. It won't go bad if we eat everything else quickly. Right, Allen-kun?" She turned to him, beaming.

_Absolutely!_ Allen licked his lips in an exaggerated fashion.

"If there's even anything left for the rest of us." Kanda gave his trademark 'che', but made his way over to the middle of the hill regardless. He was followed by Lavi, then the other three, Link picking up both of the packs left behind.

Once everyone stood in the centre of the hill, Lenalee produced a rather large chequered cloth, folded a number of times, from the slightly smaller pack she still carried on her back. She unfolded it as she walked around, handing one edge to everyone except Kanda. As they all walked backwards to the edges of the hill, the cloth spread out, and Lenalee finally gestured for them to lay it on the ground.

"It wouldn't be a picnic without something to sit on, right?" she chirped. "Brother and I have been using this one for years. It's something of a tradition."

Allen patted it gingerly, noting that it still felt thick and comfortable even after all its years of use. The four boys flopped down upon it, and Lenalee sat down a little more carefully, making the blanket ripple with movement.

"And now," Lavi began, reaching over for his pack on Link's shoulders, "we-"

Link slapped the redhead's hand away with a scowl. "Have some manners. _Wait_."

"But Allen's eating already," Lavi pointed out, whining.

While this was not entirely true, Allen _had_ already begun to rummage through his pack for anything that remotely resembled food. All he found so far, however, were plates, and cutlery, and-

"Ah, we put the food in yours at the bottom," Lenalee suddenly recalled. The merboy looked up at her with shock and disappointment. "But if you could please hand those to me, Allen-kun…"

He eagerly obliged, lifting out the stack of plates to hand to Lenalee. The moment she took them from him, Allen went straight back to digging through the pack for their lunch. An amused Lavi and grumpy Kanda followed suit, and soon the picnic blanket began to be covered with all the kinds of food the kitchens had been able to cook that morning.

To Allen's delight, that was a _lot_ of food, more than would ever be made at once back at the underwater palace. Lavi produced a number of roasted chickens from his pack; Kanda brought out plate upon plate of fish, crustaceans, and a number of meats Allen couldn't identify. Bowls of freshly cooked vegetables were placed side-by-side with newly sliced ones, all surrounded by trays of fruit that looked as if they had just been picked that morning. Warm pasta, steaming rice, and moist potatoes made Allen salivate just from the heat that radiated from their containers as they passed beneath his nose. Lenalee placed a platter of cheeses between them, with crackers and all sorts of condiments arranged neatly between the multitude of dairy products. And of course there was more, most of which Allen had never seen the like of before in his life.

_C-can we…_ he stammered, trembling finger pointing towards an opened container of spaghetti covered in a rich cream sauce.

"One moment…" Lenalee hastily wrapped a fork, knife, and spoon in a napkin, placed the bundle on top of a plate, and held it out to Allen. "The serving utensils should be there already."

Allen actually had to pinch himself on the thigh to make sure it wasn't one of the most realistic fantasies he'd ever had.

Fortunately, it was reality. Even better, the food was more delicious than he could have ever imagined!

It was just ten minutes later when Allen went for his eighth helping of salmon and wild rice with carrots on the side. He'd had a part of it in his mouth when he noticed four wide-eyed stares on him, ranging from affectionately pleased to shocked to almost disgusted. Swallowing the mouthful as quickly as he could, Allen scrambled to put down the plate and hide his suddenly reddened face.

"N-no, Allen-kun," Lenalee stammered, failing at hiding her growing smile, "it's all right! You don't need to…"

"Che. Disgusting." Kanda took a piece of what appeared to be breaded vegetables with a pair of sticks – sticks! Allen wondered how he could possibly eat with just those – and shoved it into his mouth, making a point of glaring at Allen as he chewed.

A flash of white caused the prince to suddenly splutter, then turn his slightly softened glare to the princess beside him. Lenalee was settling her legs back underneath her, eyes fixated on Allen for reasons he was sure related to Kanda's disruption and nothing at all to do with himself.

"I'm happy you're enjoying it," she said cheerfully – a little _too_ cheerfully, as a matter of fact. Allen thought he could even see the vein twitching above her eye, and he silently breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't directed towards him.

"Che." Kanda lifted another piece of vegetable with a grace Allen was surprised the man could muster in his angry mood.

"So fast," Lavi murmured from across the blanket. Link nodded in agreement, evidently too surprised to keep his usual mask of stern serenity.

None of this diminished Allen's blush, though, which lasted until the rest of the lunch was consumed. With his new, slower pace of eating, this took Allen more than twice the amount of time for half the amount of food.

And finally…

"It had better still be good," Link warned with a scowl as he reluctantly reached into his pack. "After half an hour…"

"We'll eat quickly," Lenalee reassured him. Allen, the embarrassment of his eating habits having faded by now, leaned forward eagerly. If the dessert was anything like their lunch had been…

"Too excited," Link muttered under his breath.

"He just wants it for himself," Lavi joked. It was met with a fierce glare from the older man. "H-hey…" Lavi leaned backwards, slowly edging himself towards Kanda as if the prince's presence provided some sort of protection. If Link was the type to attack and miss, it might very well have been. "You know it was just a joke, r-right?"

Lenalee prodded Allen in the knee. When he looked up, curious, she shook her head.

_Oh, so Link likes desserts, too…_ Allen's expression hardened at the thought. _Well, I won't let him eat everything here!_

…_For Lenalee's sake, too,_ he mentally added, remembering the princess's own sweet tooth. _No wonder she was so anxious to inspect and approve it._

With a sigh, Link withdrew his hands from the pack. In them, he held an abnormally large cheesecake that made Allen swallow with anticipation. Subtly decorated with swirls of deep red strawberry sauce and topped with a cluster of fruit, it looked like the perfect thing to cool down with on such a warm spring day.

Or at least… it would have been, had the other desserts not looked just as, if not more, appetizing.

From the rich chocolate cakes – made for Lenalee, he suspected – to the plates of freshly iced cookies, and the cream-filled éclairs to a bowl filled with pudding, there was more than enough dessert to have fed five people for dinner alone. It was all a bit warmer than Lenalee had led them to believe, but still edible - Allen noted the triumphant look Lenalee shot at Link a few minutes into the serving. It took all his energy not to devour the entire plate of mitarashi dango all at once!

Soon, the plates were stripped bare of everything but crumbs and the inedible structures that had held the meats and fruits together. The sun had passed its peak already, and the five of them sat there contentedly, watching it slip between the clouds. Allen was soon startled out of his calm trance by a sudden thump, which, the four others discovered, turned out to be Lavi. He'd fallen onto his back to relax, unfocused eye seeing nothing but the expanse of blue sky above.

"Ahhh, feels good after that dinner!" he exclaimed, patting his stomach.

"Mmm…" Allen didn't notice the mischievous glint in Lenalee's eyes until she'd grabbed his arm, and by then it was too late to avoid the inevitable tug as she pulled him backwards into a similar position.

_L-Lenalee?_

"Brother and I haven't had the time for this recently."

The sound of two muffled thuds across from him made Allen wonder if Link and Kanda had followed suit, although their falls had certainly been more controlled than the other three.

"I used to do it when I was little… and that's why I brought this blanket along. It's thick, so we don't need to feel all the little lumps on the ground… and soft, so it's comfortable."

Allen turned to face Lenalee, his forearm still enclosed in her grip.

"Although lying on the ground can really feel nice, too…"

_Ah…_ Had he ever done that before? Just taken the time to lie back and enjoy a lazy afternoon, the warm ground under his back as he watched the sun pass overhead? Not that he could really see the sun from underwater… or that the sand would feel quite as nice as Lenalee's chequered blanket… But that wasn't the point, was it?

The five of them here, together, enjoying the simple pleasures of a beautiful day, the wonders of nature, and the subtle joy of one another's presence: Would this ever be something they would get to experience again?

Even before those three months passed…

Allen sat up, suddenly feeling sick as the thought echoed in his mind. Should he really be here right now? If he only had three months to spend with everyone, wouldn't this only make it harder for him to leave when the time came? Besides, could he really afford to waste time lying around when he had a mission to complete, or-

Fingers pressed into the smooth skin of his right arm, and Allen realised that he had forgotten to pull away from Lenalee's grip.

"Where are you going, Allen-kun?" she murmured, so softly that only Kanda, lying to her right, might have heard. "Would you… please… stay a little while longer with us?"

The pleading, vulnerable, _lonely_ look in her violet eyes made Allen's heart squeeze painfully, and he gulped. Here was another reason that he shouldn't be here. Every moment he spent with Lenalee only made him fall faster and deeper, and if it continued this way, he knew he _wouldn't_ be able to leave her at all. And yet, didn't the fact that he couldn't resist it right now mean that he already couldn't?

Slowly, he slumped back to the ground, but the feeling of content was long gone, and for the rest of the afternoon Allen felt a strange sense of discomfort in his stomach that definitely wasn't from the food. Soft snores drifted from other members of the group, but Allen lay awake the entire time. The blue sky above him started to blur in front of his eyes, the haze in the air reminding him strangely of the watery home he'd left just a few days ago. His legs felt heavy, as if they were no longer the mobile appendages that he'd almost become used to but the thick, powerful tail that had been a part of him for fifteen years. Timcanpy's presence, the golden ball curled up by his wrist, only served to remind Allen of his former loneliness, something he'd have to return to eventually whether he wanted to, _could_ return, or not. And-

The feeling of Lenalee's skin against his, even if it was just her hand…

Allen turned his head a little so he could see her; Lenalee had been so still he wondered if she'd fallen asleep, too. Yet her violet eyes were wide open, staring straight upwards with that same lonely look as before. As he watched her, they slid shut momentarily, and when she opened them again they were fixated on him with none of the heartbreaking emotion that had been so clear just a moment before.

But her message was clear: _It's all right._

_It's all right to forget that for a little while and just enjoy what we have right now._

Then Lenalee smiled at him. Allen smiled back, a little unsure, and a little more hopeful.

And Lenalee let her fingers slide down his arm and entwine with his own.

Allen thought his heart would stop right at that moment even though it was beating faster than it ever had before. Somehow, despite all that, he had never felt so comfortable before in his life.

_Lenalee… It's so soon, but… I think… I might already have fallen in love with you…_

He almost wished Lenalee _could_ read his mind right at that moment.

The picnic ended soon after, and a gloomy atmosphere descended as the five young people packed up the plates, the remnants of food, and finally, the blanket. Their packs much lighter, they trudged down the hill as the sun matched their descent in the sky, no one saying a word. Throughout the long journey back home, however, Allen's gaze constantly wandered to Lenalee's pale hand that had been clasped in his until just moments before the others awoke from their afternoon daydreams.

It had been an exciting day, one that none of them – particularly Allen – would ever forget.

* * *

The heat spell of that spring was not limited to the single day, and it was not long before another journey outside the castle was planned to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Although that wasn't the only reason this time…

_Ice cream…_

Allen flopped onto one of the cushioned courtyard chairs, gasping as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of one hand. Nearby, Lavi was already sprawled out on a bench, and Lenalee's shoulders were slumping as she leaned against a wall. Kanda's scowl was just a little deeper than usual.

_Want… ice… cream…_

"To think he hadn't had it before a few days ago," Lavi pointed out, groaning at the end of his sentence. "This damn _heat_…"

"Then…" Lenalee shifted, discomfort evident in her frown. Although she was dressed the most appropriately in this weather, in a light white sundress that left her shoulders mostly bare, the heat had a powerful effect on her, too. She clutched a sweat-soaked handkerchief in one hand, and in patches she hadn't been able to reach, the dress clung to her body quite tightly.

Not that Allen was affected… well, he _was_ – what man wouldn't be? – but he did respect Lenalee enough to keep his eyes averted. Lavi, on the other hand… The merboy's eyes flickered over to the historian. Good, he was giving Kanda a pleading look. Not that Allen hadn't caught that green eye on Lenalee before that day. One more time, and…

The redhead flinched. "Allen, did you just crack your knuckles?" he asked cautiously.

Allen shook his head and gave the most innocent and fake smile he'd ever worn before.

"Then…" Lenalee repeated in the same even tone as before, "why don't we get some?"

Three heads perked up at her suggestion.

"Allen-kun could probably use some new clothes for this weather… and perhaps Kanda could, too…" Lenalee's level of enthusiasm gradually rose as she justified her earlier comment. "And I could use some things as well. It'd be better than sitting around here all day, wouldn't it?"

_And we could get ice cream!_ Allen was convinced: they _had_ to visit the city today. Not that they couldn't have ice cream in the palace, but it would probably be faster to go themselves, even if it meant they had to deal with…

"Though there will be lines," Lenalee pointed out. Three pairs of shoulders slumped in unison, the exception being the sweet-hating human prince. "Of course everyone will be thinking the same thing…"

"Then it's hopeless," Lavi whined.

_We should still go!_ Allen sat up abruptly, sweat-dampened hair flying off his face as he turned to look at the others. _It'll be something to do! _

"I guess we _are_ doing just as much by waiting here," Lavi admitted. "Can't hurt."

Lenalee and Allen were on their feet before the last word disappeared off his lips.

"I'll get everything ready," Lenalee called as she made her way to the door.

_I'll help,_ Allen mouthed, stumbling over his feet in his haste to follow.

"Wait-"

The door closed behind them, cutting off Lavi's shout of protest. With a sigh, he slumped back over the bench, tilting his head as he looked at Kanda.

"You gonna go too, Yuu?"

"…Che. Who would want something that sweet?"

"Aww… not even for something to do? Standing around all day can't be _that_ fun."

"…Shut up." Kanda snorted and turned away. "I'm not getting any ice cream."

Lavi knew when he'd won. He just didn't know when to stop.

"What if there was soba-flavoured-"

"Che, dumbass. Soba isn't just one flavour."

"…Oh."

"…That's different."

"So you _would_ eat it?" Was it just Lavi's imagination or did Kanda look almost as if he were-

_Bang!_ A door was thrown open and two heads peeked inside cautiously, as if to assess any shock or damage caused by their careless use of strength. Lavi put a hand to his fluttering heart reflexively, hoping no one had seen how high he'd jumped at that moment.

"The carriage will be ready soon," Lenalee said with a sheepish grin. Allen nodded, his expression mimicking hers. "So…"

"_Damn,_ Lenalee…" Lavi gave a low whistle. "You two gave us a shock!"

"Speak for yourself," Kanda muttered, although his usual arrogance was temporarily replaced by an unusual shakiness. It didn't make his comment very convincing.

Lenalee exchanged a questioning glance with Allen. "Did we interrupt something? Sorry…"

"Interrupt…" Now that Lavi thought about it, hadn't Kanda been… _Had _the pair interrupted something besides his attempt to keep the conversation going? "Huh…"

Allen and Lenalee exchanged another glance, although this one was of shock.

_We did?!_ Allen mouthed.

"I can't believe it," Lenalee murmured. Grey and violet eyes flickered from Kanda to Lavi and back again, narrowing as they moved. Slowly, sly smirks spread across their lips in unison.

"_Che_." Kanda stalked over to the pair and glared at the two heads, both at his shoulder level. "Move right now or I'll cut you into pieces, beansprout."

_Beansprout! _Allen's grin was immediately replaced with a scowl, and he had opened his mouth to respond to the insult when Lenalee, her hand around his upper arm, pulled him out of the way. With a choked gasp, Allen could only stare in disbelief as Kanda stepped through the door and, without any further word, made his way down the hall.

"Don't aggravate him today, please," Lenalee murmured. Allen snapped his mouth shut, looking no less sour than before. "He's probably just upset that we interrupted… you know…"

Understanding dawned on Allen's face and he nodded, the frown disappearing. _Ah…_

"Interrupted what?" Lavi stuck his head through the door at that moment, making the pair flinch with surprise. "Just now?"

Allen and Lenalee nodded. "You know," Lenalee said slowly. "_That_…"

"That?" In the time it had taken Kanda to storm out, Lavi had decided that no, he didn't really know what had been there to interrupt. Sure, there _might_ have been something, but he hadn't been certain of what he'd seen. Best to ask the two who may also have witnessed the event.

"Well…" Lenalee fidgeted uncomfortably. "When we looked over…"

"Yeah?" Lavi prompted, more than a hint of enthusiasm in his curious tone.

"Kanda was…"

"He was?!" So Lavi _had_ seen it after all! And as this was a rare occurrence, he wouldn't forget it for the next twenty years. It might not even happen again until then!

"B-blushing…"

Allen looked just as awkward as Lenalee did; indeed, an embarrassed flush touched their cheeks just like the one they described on Kanda. Of course, for Kanda, any sort of betrayal of his vulnerability was so rare and so unlike him that it would certainly make any witness feel like a voyeur, seeing the parts of Kanda he never wanted to show. It was strange… but to Lavi, it was almost satisfying to know that he'd gotten the better of Kanda just this once, and caused him to act like a normal human being with weaknesses.

_And… and so… _Allen inhaled deeply, unable to maintain eye contact with Lavi anymore. Lenalee's gaze was also wandering, mostly towards the floor as Allen raised his to the ceiling. _We… thought…_

It took Lavi a moment to put the pieces together. He was fairly bright, after all.

"…But how does Kanda's blush mean you interrupted anything?" he asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. They couldn't possibly believe-

Yet the pair still refused to look him in the eye. Allen swallowed nervously and Lenalee bit her lip (Lavi couldn't help but notice how cute the action was).

"Guys?" he prompted.

"Ah…" Lenalee gave a nervous laugh and her hand slipped down to Allen's forearm, where she tugged gently on his sleeve. "Well, the carriage should be ready, so we'd better go, right… Allen-kun…?"

Allen nodded furiously, still careful to avoid looking at Lavi.

As the pair quickly began their stiff strides away from Lavi, the redhead sighed and shook his head. "You know…"

Lenalee and Allen stopped dead in their tracks, but didn't turn around.

"…Yuu was blushing because I made him admit he'd eat ice cream…"

Lavi didn't have to see their faces to know both teenagers were probably even more red than Kanda in their mutual embarrassment.

So his suspicion _had_ been correct, after all. They'd thought… they'd really thought…

Well, to be fair, he'd probably suspect the same had he returned to find any two of the pair alone, with one of them blushing – particularly if it was such an uncommon occurrence, as with Kanda. Unless it was Kanda and Allen; _then_ the stoic one would have been speaking about another person entirely. That, or it would be a face flushed in anger. With them, it'd be hard to tell.

"O-of course," Lenalee stammered, sounding rather sheepish. "That would embarrass anyone…"

Allen nodded and turned to Lenalee. _W-we were going… right?_

Lenalee made a sound of agreement and the two nearly _ran_ down the hallway, away from Lavi. The historian stood there for a few more moments, shaking his head, although a small grin had crept across his lips.

_Ain't too different, their reactions… They're a pretty good match._

He chuckled softly at the next thought.

_But me and Yuu? _That's _an interesting thought… Ha, if anyone but Lenalee said it, though, he'd kill them for sure. _

_At least, I think he would…_

And with that puzzling thought in his mind, Lavi followed the three members of royalty down the hallways and to the awaiting carriage. As fate would have it, the discussion topic as he arrived was, of all things, ice cream.

Naturally, Kanda was still adamant about not wanting any.

Just as naturally, the prince actually became somewhat panicked when this fact sent Lavi into fits of laughter that neither Allen nor Lenalee could understand. Not that Lavi would ever tell them any more than he already had.

An hour later, the carriage pulled up in front of the ice cream shop and four overheated teenagers stumbled out of the unbearably hot enclosed space of the carriage interior. Unfortunately for them, air conditioning hadn't been invented yet, and there was hardly any room for air circulation. Packed in as close as they were, the body heat couldn't have helped, either.

It was hot, it was sticky, and, as Lenalee should have expected, there was a monstrously long line stretching from the doors of the ice cream shop.

Four pairs of eyes followed it all the way to Johnny's tailor store blocks away.

_No way… _Allen's knees nearly gave out, although his brain snapped back into action to catch himself before he actually collapsed. _No… way…_

"You've gotta be kidding," Lavi breathed, his shocked disappointment giving him the look of a kicked puppy.

"Eh?" Lenalee was speechless; her mind still hadn't comprehended the situation. Or perhaps it just hadn't let reality sink in yet to prolong that sense of despair.

Kanda said nothing, but even his normally stony scowl had more than a hint of disbelief and frustration.

"We'll be waiting for at least…" Lavi paused for a moment to make the calculations in his head, but Lenalee, now fully conscious of the reality, was faster.

"Another hour," she said softly. "Maybe two."

_Will they even _have _ice cream left by then? _Allen scribbled, his handwriting shakier than usual.

Lavi nearly passed out on the cobblestone streets once he finished reading the comment. Even Lenalee didn't look as steady as she usually did, despite the shaky smile on her face that the three boys couldn't muster up.

_She's really good at hiding these things sometimes,_ Allen mused. _She tries really hard, anyway. Even though she must be as miserable as the rest of us, she still puts on a smile and tries to be cheerful. _

_Lenalee's really amazing…_

"Then…" Lenalee scanned the signs of the nearby shops, visibly pretending not to notice the long line. "What if we get something cold to drink for now? There should be a café nearby, and after that long carriage ride…"

Lavi immediately perked up. "Hey, that's a good idea…"

Allen nodded enthusiastically. _As long as it's cold!_

"Che." Kanda did not, however, refuse or show any sign of disagreement.

"I think there's one around here…" Lenalee started walking back down the street they had arrived from, her head swinging around every few moments as she read the signs. "Brother and I came here once last fall… when we were shopping for some decorations for the palace…"

_They decorate it?_ Somehow, the thought had never occurred to Allen before. Of course _someone_ would have had to obtain all the décor somehow – and, for that matter, the furniture as well. Who better to do it than the royal family themselves? It was their home, after all! Yet he'd never seen anyone acquire anything new for the castle back home… Then again, judging from the distinct lack of friendly and normal-looking things, he'd probably been left out of those shopping trips. And with good reason, too, seeing as Allen's taste was anything and everything once owned by humans.

Oh, and kittens. Can't forget the kittens. Not that they had kittens under the ocean, so perhaps that fell under the Human Things category. But they _were_ awfully cute.

Allen's thoughts about cute baby animals were promptly interrupted as he walked straight into something soft that leaned forward and gave a soft 'oof' at the impact. It took a few moments for Allen to realise that the strange texture and oddly nice smell under his nose was, in fact, Lenalee's hair.

_S-Sorry! _he mouthed, staggering back in embarrassment. Lenalee merely gave a distracted nod, evidently more bothered by the conundrum in front of them than his daydream-induced accident.

The four had just arrived at an intersection, with another street crossing the one they had been walking along a few metres ahead. Identical green awnings hung above the doors in the equally identical stone buildings, the homogeneity occasionally broken by a regular wooden shop. Lenalee was staring down the central path, frowning.

"Which one," she murmured to herself, taking a few steps forward and looking down another street, uncertain. "I can't remember…"

"It's around here somewhere, though, right?" Lavi crossed his arms behind his head and bounced up onto his toes. "Could we ask someone?"

"Does it look like we could?" Kanda pointed out sarcastically. Indeed, except for the occasional lone pedestrian in the distance down one or two paths, this part of the city was strangely empty.

Although all those people lined up for ice cream had to come from _somewhere_, so perhaps it wasn't so strange after all. Allen did have to wonder why no one else had thought of a simple cold drink, however. Had it never occurred to any one of the people standing in line?

Granted, he hadn't thought of it either, but at least he had the excuse of being new to the city – to land! - and not knowing that was even an option at all. It made him feel a little better, anyway.

"Maybe we should split up, then," Lavi suggested as his heels touched the stones again. "Maybe one of us'll find the café, or we can find someone to ask."

"Good idea," Lenalee agreed. "Should we each take one path?"

"Che." Kanda began to trudge over to the rightmost one without any further word. "I'm not taking the beansprout with me, though."

"Ah…" The metaphorical lightbulb went off over Lavi's head. "What _do_ we do with Allen?"

"He can come with me." Lenalee turned to Allen. "If that's all right…"

Allen nodded. Why would it _not_ be?

"Since you've become friends with Lavi, too, and we've had lots of time together recently…"

Had he mouthed that last bit or was his confusion just that obvious? Allen nodded again. _It's fine. Lavi walks pretty fast and doesn't notice as often as Lenalee does, anyway._

"Hey…" Lavi gave a playful pout. "Yeah, fine by me too. I might see a girl to… to ask about the café… and I don't want him giving me that Link-glare the entire time."

_Link-glare?_ Allen was about to give Lavi a very condescending glower when Lenalee interrupted.

"Then there's no problem, right? Allen and I will continue down this street."

Two nods of agreement and one half-hearted shrug later, everyone went their various ways to continue the quest for the café with the cold drinks.

When Allen looked over his shoulder a few minutes and a number of doorways later, there was no one in sight. This shouldn't have bothered him – after all, Lavi and Kanda had departed down perpendicular avenues, and they were all too far away from the main street by now – and yet, somehow, he felt uneasy. A chill shot down his spine immediately after, and Allen wondered if it was because they were alone.

"Is something wrong?" Lenalee asked softly, her shoulder touching his.

That couldn't be it. They were indeed alone, but he'd never had a problem with being with Lenalee before, even if no one else was around. Sure, it hadn't been on an abandoned street with no chance of arriving undetected, but… no, it had to be something else. This wasn't the good kind of uneasy, and Allen was sure that being with Lenalee wouldn't be anything else.

Unless she suddenly turned into a four-headed monster and devoured him whole… but Allen wouldn't bet on that. Not that he hadn't seen scarier things back home.

As he turned back to give her a negative response, a figure appeared on the horizon ahead, walking towards them. A sharp pain stabbed through Allen's eye, making him stumble on the cobblestone pavement.

"Allen-kun!" Lenalee caught his arm as he tripped, holding his body away from the ground. "Allen-kun, are you all right?"

As much as Allen would have loved to reassure her of his safety, the throbbing in his left eye made it impossible to _think_ of responding, much less do so. Slowly, his grey eyes lifted and focused on the approaching figure. The pain intensified immediately.

_I don't think it's because of the movement… Could it be…?_

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee prompted again, following his gaze and giving the man a wary look.

_You've already got the necessary equipment for that in your eye, don't you?_

Allen's gloved fingers unconsciously clenched into a tight fist that Lenalee's eyes darted nervously to.

"Allen-kun?" she asked again, her voice trembling.

_If an akuma is there, that eye will monitor it and collect data all on its own._

…_powerful weapon called _akuma_…_

The pain was almost blinding as the man approached. By now, Allen could see the sun glinting off his exposed teeth, the faded hat tilted down over his eyes, and hear the soft tune he whistled as he walked. Could the man see him, too?

_Have to do something. _

_Lenalee…_

Without thinking, Allen's hand shot out to grab her wrist, still holding his arm from when he'd fallen. She gave a yelp of surprise as he pulled her to the side and began to run towards the side of the street, to where the stone buildings merged into each other with only the barest of cracks revealing the separation.

"Allen-ku-"

_Somewhere… There has to be…_

There! A long shadow extending between two buildings – was it an alley? A place where they wouldn't be seen? Anywhere-

Ignoring the sensations in his feet, only intensified by the speed and force at which they hit the ground, Allen pulled Lenalee towards the shadow. He didn't look behind him at the approaching man; he didn't even care what he looked like, running away in such a suspicious manner. All that mattered was that they didn't meet, didn't exchange the slightest acknowledgement of the other's presence – hopefully, that Allen wouldn't even be found at all. He didn't know what was causing this irrational thought process – what if it was just a man, out for his daily stroll, or perhaps going for some ice cream? – but he couldn't stop to think about it now.

The pair ran into the shadows, following the stone walls until the alley was intersected by another avenue, this one darker than the previous street. Allen turned the corner to the right, as if thinking of going back to the original meeting place, but collapsed against the building as soon as Lenalee had left the sight of the main street. Panting heavily, he released his grip on Lenalee's wrist and relaxed, knees sagging and only barely keeping him upright.

_We're safe… I hope…_

Lenalee pressed the back of her hand to her forehead, as if to cool the heated skin, and made her way over to the wall, pressing her back against it as Allen had done. Letting her hand fall back down, she listlessly turned her head to the side, peeking around the corner.

"There's no one coming," she murmured weakly, taking a deep breath as she finished the sentence. "No one there… either."

_Thank goodness… _Allen ran one hand down his face, trickles of sweat dampening his glove. _Maybe he just thought we were weird kids or something. Nothing to worry about. Not a threat._ He hoped that was the case, at least. How could he stand his ground against a weapon, no matter what kind? His life wasn't the only one at risk here, either! He couldn't drag Lenalee into this!

"Allen-kun." Lenalee turned her head to face him, body unmoving except for her heaving chest. Allen tried very hard to keep his eyes on her face once he noticed this fact, and mostly succeeded. Fortunately, Lenalee had other things on her mind besides noticing where his gaze strayed. "What… what was that about?"

Her question made him swallow and immediately tear his eyes off of – _I really hope she isn't reading my mind right now. Um. _Allen shrugged and gave a sheepish grin, although Lenalee's frown told him it hadn't been convincing enough. No one would have called him a bad liar before he met Lenalee. Somehow, she noticed the tiny little quirks in his body language that told her otherwise.

"That man…?"

Allen broke eye contact. That speck of gravel on the ground looked awfully interesting… although not as much as Lenalee's-

"He… what happened, Allen-kun?" Lenalee reached out to gently stroke the back of his left hand with one finger. "Are you all right?"

Allen nodded, bringing his eyes back up to meet hers. He couldn't possibly tell her about this… could he? On one hand, he didn't want to get her involved; on the other, she might already be…

What if Lenalee ever needed to defend herself? Her kingdom?

_Damn that Cross… What has he gotten me into? What has he gotten everyone into?_

The merboy was jolted out of his ponderings at Lenalee's intense, worried stare. With a start, he realised he'd been clenching his teeth and fists; he quickly relaxed them, although obviously not in time to escape Lenalee's worry.

He had to tell her…

_It's… a bit of a long story…_

"What did that man do?" Lenalee murmured. "It has to do with…" She paused, surveying the street behind him carefully for a moment before continuing. "With the merpeople?"

Allen nodded slowly. _Yes… and no… I'm not really sure of it myself, but…_

"He scares you, doesn't he," Lenalee whispered. "I could see it in your expression…"

He nodded again.

"Do you know him?"

Allen shook his head. _Only heard of him. About him. About it._

"It?" Lenalee repeated warily, sounding unsure about reading his lips properly. Allen merely nodded again, and reached for the pad of paper in his pocket with his free hand.

_It's the reason why I'm here,_ he wrote. _I came on a mission._

"A mission…" Lenalee read aloud, then inhaled deeply. "That sounds… Is it dangerous, Allen-kun? I don't-"

She was cut off by the sounds of his pen scribbling the answer. _It shouldn't be. I'm supposed to find something and observe…_

"It's that man, isn't it?" she asked once the pen stopped. "Without being noticed?"

Allen shrugged. _I don't know. All I was told was to stay in the city and… _He raised the pen to his lips and unconsciously chewed on the tip as he thought about the right words to use. What had Cross told him again? _It would just happen._

"How?"

Allen lifted a finger to his left eye, realising as he did so that the pain had ebbed to a light throbbing, and was close to fading altogether. Did that mean the _akuma_ was no longer nearby? _This… Somehow._

"But if you were close enough to look at it, you might be- oh!" Lenalee frowned, then raised a finger to his scar. Allen shivered as she traced its path on his cheek and swallowed nervously. At that moment, he _really_ hoped she couldn't tell what he was thinking… or feeling, rather. "Your scar?"

_I think so… _Allen shrugged again, this time accompanied by a half-smile. _I don't really know myself. This is what I was told…_

"And that man?" Lenalee withdrew her hand, making Allen mentally sigh in relief. It wasn't that she made him feel uncomfortable in a _bad_ way, but… "Who is he?"

_An akuma. I think,_ Allen added verbally (or silently, as it was).

"Aku… ma?" Lenalee repeated the word slowly, eyebrows knitting in confusion as she did so. "What…"

_A weapon created by… _What should he say? _By the ruler of my kingdom._

Lenalee drew a sharp breath and took a step back. Allen leaned forward, worried, until she spoke again. "For the sake of… because of… us?"

_She's worried that he's targeting them?! With the way the Earl feels about humans, I'd be worried, too… Cross didn't mention anything about it, though, yet… _Allen shook his head quickly. _This one escaped. They were for… rival kingdoms, maybe. Or something._

"And you've been sent to track the rogue." Lenalee looked slightly less tense than a moment ago, yet the revelation still visibly worried her. "For what? T-that is… for what reward? Why…"

Ah… the question Allen was hesitant to answer. For one, he could hardly tell her that he wanted to escape from the very man who had created these machines; somehow, their connection would inevitably surface, and now definitely wasn't the time for Lenalee to find out. For another, as much as Allen might deny it, one of the reasons was undoubtedly _her_. Even if it was just curiosity, a mild crush, if she knew even the slightest part of feelings that were more than friendly…

Best to go with the modified truth. The very modified truth.

_I wanted some time away from my family. An adventure. And… a hobby… I have_ – he quickly crossed that last word out – _had an interest in human things…_

"Human things, you say?" Lenalee smiled at that. "Anything in particular, or simply anything made on land?"

_The second._

"This must've been a paradise for you, then," Lenalee laughed. "At least, until the novelty wore off… That must be a strange feeling."

_It's not that different from home, actually,_ Allen admitted. _Now that I see them all the time… Well, most things…_

"I understand…" Lenalee sighed and let her head rest against the wall again, still half-facing Allen. "And your family? It's all right if you don't want to talk about it," she added hastily, eyes a bit wider than usual.

Allen gave a slow nod. _They're annoying…_

"Brother can be like that too, but it must be more than that for you," Lenalee murmured. "I wouldn't want to leave him for anything."

Allen gave a shaky smile; he remembered how 'annoying' the King had been. _Definitely not that kind._

"Your family…" Lenalee hesitated, taking care with choosing her next few words. "When we were last in town, you mentioned travelling with your father… Was he…?"

Allen gave her a puzzled look.

"Him, too?" she asked cautiously.

_Ah!_ Allen waved his hands to convey a negative answer. _He died, actually._

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Lenalee said softly, her eyes filling with empathy.

_Oh yeah, _Allen mused, _if Lenalee's brother is the King, wouldn't that mean… Lenalee lost her parents, too? _He lifted the paper pad once more. _Right now, I'm staying with… cousins, you could say. They're…_

"Annoying," Lenalee finished. "I feel so sorry that you've had to live with that, but…" She gave a nervous laugh. "At the same time, if that hadn't been the case… you wouldn't be here right now, would you?"

_Yeah…_ Allen had never thought about it before, but it seemed there actually was some good in having the Noah clan as his family, after all. Well, besides the fact that it meant he was royalty… and Road was cuddly enough most of the time. _Most _of the time. _That's true… I would never have believed it possible before…_

Speaking of family… One of Lenalee's earlier comments had made him wonder about something, but he hadn't thought to ask it at the moment she'd made the comment. And right now, he didn't really want to think about the Noah anymore, whether the emotions that remembrance provoked were anger and frustration or care and nostalgia…

Care? He _cared_ for those annoying bullies? That was a scary thought!

_You wouldn't want to leave your brother, you said… right, Lenalee?  
_

She nodded, looking slightly confused. "Just now, yes…"

_Then…_ How should he pose the question without sounding nosy? The thought that his curiosity might imply something else never crossed Allen's mind. _About marriage…_

"Ah, that?" Lenalee didn't sound bothered at all. "We're trying to deal with that. Brother doesn't want me to leave either, so we were hoping to find…" She gave a nervous laugh, cheeks flushing a soft pink. "Princes are rare enough, but… Well, you know about Kanda, right?"

Allen nodded stiffly. He'd been trying to put the thought of Kanda and Lenalee together out of his head for the past few days, and had been mostly successful when not reminded of it. And fortunately, there had been relatively few things that could remind him of _that_.

Until now, anyway.

"Even though we know each other, he's something of a last resort. It's not just that we don't love each other like that, but…" Lenalee lifted her hands in front of her, unconsciously wringing them as she spoke. "He's the only child, and the designated heir. If I married him, we would have to live in his kingdom. At least, it would be the right thing to do in order to... to produce an heir."

_It would be difficult if you were kingdoms apart,_ Allen commented, keeping a straight face to avoid the satisfied smirk that would otherwise be visible.

"Exactly! But then Brother and I would be separated."

_That sounds like a big problem,_ Allen mused. Of course, the problem of Lenalee marrying anyone at all was a serious issue that needed to be- no, he should _definitely_ not be thinking that. Lenalee's future happiness was what mattered!

"Not really," Lenalee demurred. "It _is_ hard to find a prince of the proper age to marry, but there aren't that many out there at all. Anyone who isn't the heir would do, though. If he wasn't going to inherit the throne, he could come to our kingdom instead."

…and once again, it appeared that he was perfectly capable of bringing about Lenalee's future happiness. It was almost maddening how fate continually reminded Allen of what a perfect match they could be. Not only a prince, but one so far down the list of next-in-line that there was a better chance Kanda would run off with Lavi than him becoming the next monarch! And if those were scarce, wasn't this a rare opportunity for-

_But wouldn't you have to worry about them trying to get the throne for themselves? _Allen hastily scribbled, trying to redirect his thoughts before Lenalee noticed his dark blush and the daydream-induced softness in his eyes. He was a mermaid! She was a human! Even if the situation was perfect, _they were still of different species!_

Somehow, though, that mantra was beginning to sound weaker and weaker whenever Allen repeated it in his mind. Perhaps he needed a new reminder of just how wrong an interspecies relationship would be.

(And in finding it, Allen would probably short out his brain entirely. Perfect!)

"Not at all!" Lenalee laughed, making Allen shift nervously on his feet from her confident tone. Had he asked something stupid just now? "If anything were to happen to Brother, I'd take the throne, and the next heir would be my child. That's why the marriage issue has become so important recently. Brother has some dangerous hobbies, and after the recent incident…" Lenalee trailed off, her mirth dissipating at the depressing memory. "If you hadn't saved me then, Allen-kun…"

Allen nodded slowly. _I should have done more…_

"But you saved the kingdom," Lenalee reminded him. "Brother and I don't have any close relatives, either. If our line ended, all these people here… they could…"

_I still could have warned someone, or…_ He shook his head, surprising Lenalee with the sudden opposite motion. _Well, what's done is done, isn't it? _he mouthed, attempting a weak smile. If he was going to wallow in regret, he wasn't going to do it where Lenalee might be brought down by it, too. _What do we do now?_

"Oh…" Lenalee's violet gaze began to wander as her mind adjusted to the sudden change in topic. Allen half-wondered if she'd actually wanted to continue it; _he_ almost did, and would have if not for an inability to think of a different topic to change to. Speaking with her was pleasant and comforting, an experience that the generally unsocial Allen hadn't had very often since Mana's death. "It's getting late, isn't it? Should we go back to find the others?"

_Yeah… _How much time had passed since they'd split up? With the akuma and this long discussion, Allen had lost track of time. The day was still as hot as ever, with the shadows of the buildings providing only a small comfort, yet Allen had barely noticed his desire for relief from it. The distractions had been a free alternative to the ice-cream, although they'd also provoked some emotions Allen might have been more comfortable without.

But were they worse than the incessant craving for something cold? With the full force of the craving suddenly hitting him after all that time, Allen wasn't so sure of that!

"Let's go," Lenalee piped, strolling past him down the alley and looking back at him once she was about a metre away. "The… akuma… should be gone now, right?"

Allen responded in the affirmative, touching his left eye tenderly. The pain was gone now, but the memory remained. He dearly hoped he would never encounter that weapon again, under any circumstances. Just seeing it had sent a chill down his spine, and a sharp pain through his eye; knowing what it was terrified him so much Allen wasn't sure if he would rather face the akuma or an angry Earl.

No, thinking back on it, he'd probably rather face the akuma. Once, he would have chosen the Earl, but he knew more now. How could he be as scared of a weapon as the one who had created it? Used it? Might use it again?

What if the Earl had used an akuma to kill Mana?

…Probably not, Allen reminded himself. Cross had said that the Earl killed Mana himself, and if akuma looked like living creatures – they might be mermaids, at any rate, but still a conscious entity – it wouldn't be the same thing at all. Besides, the Earl would have wanted to do it himself if Mana had really been as important as Cross had claimed.

Certainly, a family member was important enough to become a personal matter…

Allen's hands unconsciously clenched, his arms swinging stiffly as he walked. How could he even consider returning back home after learning what he now knew? Even if there were _some_ positive emotions associated with his family, that balance had been one reason why he kept returning night after night to the castle. That balance had been disrupted now, leaving him with anger and hurt that he knew would never completely fade with time. The only other reason had been security, knowing there was a place where he could receive shelter, food, and other necessities and comforts of life. There was a chance Cross might provide them, but the thought of staying with Cross was only slightly more pleasant. Besides, assuming they _were_ somehow available to Allen, what would the price be? He wanted to avoid being in debt to that monster at any cost!

Which left him with only one obvious option: to continue life as he was now. Hadn't he just had this internal conversation? This wasn't possible, either!

Sighing to himself, Allen tucked the debate in a far corner of his mind, resolving to find an answer another day. Meeting the akuma had not changed the facts or his options, and there was no point in thinking about it now when he still had three more months of life at the castle. He could decide then.

And above all else, he _had_ to stop thinking about marrying Lenalee. It was as if every single train of thought eventually led towards that desi- er, possibility! He'd only known her for a few days; this was far too soon. If Lenalee could hear this thoughts right now…

_What if she's recovered by now!? …I'd be in so much…_

Taking a deep breath, Allen looked over at Lenalee-

She had stopped, turned around, and was staring _right_ at him.

Allen bit off a silent curse and managed to form a shaky smile.

_H-Hi, Lenalee…_

Yet the expression Lenalee wore was not the expected shock, horror, or anger, but one of worry and confusion.

"Is everything all right, Allen-kun?" she asked softly.

Allen nodded mechanically. _O-Of course! Why wouldn't… it… be…_

"I see," she murmured, not sounding fully convinced. "You've been silent up until now – um, not communicating, or… w-well, you understand," Lenalee said, flustered. He nodded again; being mute did come with its share of awkward moments. "And just now, you stopped walking… Is it your feet?"

_Huh?_ So she hadn't been…? Allen shook his head, grinning sheepishly. _No, just thinking. I'm fine. _Hadn't he told Lenalee about how the pain never ebbed or intensified as long as his feet were on the ground? Even if they'd been walking all afternoon, they would hurt just as much three hours later as when they'd begun. He made a mental note to explain it later; he didn't want Lenalee worrying over that.

"Okay." Lenalee smiled in response and turned around to continue down the street. Allen followed, noticing how close they were to the meeting point already. Had he really been lost in thought all this time? No wonder Lenalee had been concerned!

As the pair approached the intersection, Allen noticed two humanoid figures in the centre, one moving around the other as if it were a child bothering a parent or sibling (although this was the taller of the two). He didn't even need to see the accompanying flash of red to know the identities of the young men.

By the time Allen was close enough to make out their faces, Lavi had trotted over to the merboy and princess, a weary grin exposing sunlight-reflecting teeth. They couldn't _naturally_ be so white…

"Yo!" he called, despite close enough for the others to have heard a _whisper_. Allen winced at the loud sound. "Where've you two been? Yuu and I have been waiting for ages!"

"Sorry," Lenalee apologized, with Allen mouthing an equally short one beside her. "We got… distracted, and lost track of time…" Her violet eyes darted to Allen momentarily in a wary glance, as if she were unsure of how to explain the situation properly. He raised his shoulders in the faintest of shrugs; this would probably do. Lavi would likely assume they found a candy shop or something like that, and leave it at that.

Except, judging by the smirk that now crossed Lavi's lips and the satisfied look he was giving the pair, that wasn't what he was thinking _at all_.

"I see," he said slowly, turning his head lazily towards Kanda without even the slightest change in his expression. "Distracted, they say… What do _you_ think, Yuu?"

"Che." Kanda rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Yuu… you _know_ how much fun it'll be to tease them about this…"

_Tease us about what?_ Allen wondered. When Lenalee turned to look at him, he shot her a confused glance. _Lenalee?_

"I don't…" Lenalee cut off suddenly, understanding dawning on her face. "Oh no…"

"They must have been doing something awfully _fun_ to lose track of time for _so long_…"

"_Che._"

"In a hotel, do you think?" Lavi turned back to Allen and Lenalee, his smirk intensifying at Allen's bemusement and Lenalee's horror. "Or did they just find the nearest back alley and…"

Allen's jaw dropped. _How did he know?! _

The grin turned triumphant as Lenalee cringed.

_Did I say something wrong?_ Allen added, a little belatedly. _It wasn't…_ No, he couldn't say it wasn't entirely a bad experience. The akuma had been terrifying, true, and some of the topics were ones he'd rather not think about, but it had certainly been nice to spend some time with Lenalee and have a nice conversation with her. Even if was at the expense of a good daily experience…

Lenalee looked as if she were about to cry.

"What about it, Allen?" Lavi leaned in closer, green eye wide with curiosity tainted slightly by a knowing glint.

_Shit, I shouldn't have said anything! I can't talk about the akuma without… Lenalee's explanation should have been good enough! _Taking a moment to think about a neutral yet accurate summary of events, Allen finally scribbled: _There was a bad man, and we had to hide from him._

"Down Lenalee's throat, I'll bet," Lavi murmured as he read. Lenalee put her face in her hands and Kanda began choking on some air particle. "Or up her skirt."

Had Allen been paying attention to Lavi's commentary, the poor historian might have quickly found himself in intense pain. As it was, the bit that did manage to register in Allen's mind caused him to blush darkly as he continued scribbling. _And we talked._

"And had a bit of a nap, while you were-"

"Lavi," Lenalee said stiffly, having donned a strained smile that sent shivers down Allen's spine at the sight of it, "did you find an open café in the _hours_ since we separated?"

Evidently, Allen wasn't the only one scared of that smile.

"Ah…" Lavi's smirk disappeared and he blinked, raising one arm to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, ah, no, but you see…"

"Neither did we! Kanda, what about you?"

Allen thought he heard Lavi breathe a faint sigh of relief as Lenalee turned to the prince.

"Che."

"S-So we'd better be going back," Lavi began, stumbling past the others, before Kanda halted him with the rest of his sentence.

"Down that way."

Three pairs of shocked gazes fell upon him. Kanda had actually found a café? _Kanda_? Not that he wasn't capable of it, of course… _of course_… but it wasn't as if he was seen as the most reliable of people. Allen had suspected he'd walked around for a few minutes, scared a passing child or two with his glares, and wandered back to the intersection to steal a nap while the others waited.

The nap was more of Lavi's thing, but he had his suspicions that Kanda somehow knew the trick of sleeping with his eyes open. That stony gaze was sometimes a little _too_ vacant.

"You found it?" Lenalee asked, the tension in her voice immediately transforming into barely hidden excitement. "A little place with a green awning, and-"

"Yeah, sure." Kanda shrugged. "It's a café."

After a few seconds, the trio realised Kanda had no intention of moving at all, let alone showing them the way.

_Then… _Allen gestured hesitantly to the street Kanda had taken. _Shall we go?_

The four of them – Kanda had reluctantly followed when the other three departed, constantly remaining a few steps behind – quickly found their destination. It was not the café itself that first caught their attention, however, but the symbol on the menu sign placed just in front of its stone steps.

A white mermaid coiled up into a circle, her torso covered by nothing more than flowing waves of hair.

Lavi gave a low whistle. Allen's face flushed a dark red.

_T-That… Why?! _Allen managed to gasp in disbelief to Lenalee. _Her… her shirt…_

"Um…" Lenalee fidgeted nervously. "Allen-kun, you know what a mermaid is…"

He raised one eyebrow, utterly confused. Why would Lenalee ask _him_, of all people?

"W-Well, maybe they're portrayed differently where… in the mountains, but here…"

"Mountains?" Lavi didn't take his eye off of the image. "I thought all cultures showed mermaids as buxom and topless."

"Apparently, not all," Lenalee murmured, smiling slightly while gesturing towards Allen with a nod of her head.

_That's how we're seen? Like… like some sex object?! And female? Naked?!_

"Che." For all the attention Kanda paid to the sign, it might have been a stray pigeon feather by the side of the road.

_I don't think they'd _really _look like that, Lavi,_ Allen finally managed to answer. _It would be uncomfortable without… wouldn't it?_

"Well, sure…" Lavi shrugged, still staring at the buxom mermaid. "But that's just what the stories say. It'd be pretty nice if there were really mermaids like that out there, you know?" He chuckled softly.

_They'd be uncomfortable,_ Allen pointed out. How difficult could it be to get some sort of covering, anyway?

"Yeah… but it's not like they're real, right? A guy can always dream."

"Mermaids aren't real, you mean?" Lenalee asked hesitantly.

Lavi shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess. Nice story, but they're just mythical creatures. Pity…"

Allen and Lenalee exchanged a wide-eyed look.

"I thought you believed in mermaids, Lavi," Lenalee said. "You used to talk about them all the time, wishing you could meet one…"

_He already has,_ Allen thought, smiling wryly. The slight quirk at the corners of Lenalee's lips indicated she had had the same thought.

"Yeah, but…" Lavi scratched the back of his head, sighing. "Has anyone ever seen one? The records don't have any conclusive proof…"

_It's worth believing in, _Allen pointed out. Did Lavi's comment about 'the records' indicate that humans and mermaids had interacted before? He decided to ask the older boy later; it would be interesting to hear how humans had reacted upon finding out that (most) mermaids were not, in fact, voluptuous nude females. And how had those interactions been for his people? Was Lenalee unusual for taking it in stride and seeing him as just another person?

He was so grateful for that. After just a few days, Allen had come to realise how similar the two species really were. Why wouldn't the Earl want him to have anything to do with humans? Or was it _because_ of that similarity…

"And besides…" Lavi gave a nervous laugh and eyed Lenalee warily. Despite that, he apparently did not modify his next comment: "Sure, they may be nice on top and all, but… wouldn't they be fishy down there?"

Even Kanda turned bright red at that. Allen wondered how Lavi could say that so unabashedly.

"Like… you couldn't do-"

"Fucking pervert; is that all you think about?" Kanda was visibly making a point of staring at a slightly discoloured piece of cobblestone on the ground.

"They might not…" Lenalee said weakly, her violet eyes darting to Allen with more than a hint of panic in them. "Um…"

_Mermaids aren't half fish, _Allen pointed out, hoping that the explanation of 'it's different in the mountains' would satisfy any further questions from Lavi. For that matter, he hoped Lavi didn't question it at _all_. If Lavi remembered his gills and put two and two together, and Allen knew he was smart enough to get four…

"The legends say that," Lavi rebutted. "So what are they?"

"Dolphin?" Lenalee suggested. Allen mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "They've got similar tails, don't they?"

"Hmm…" Lavi's hand trailed down the side of his face to scratch at his chin thoughtfully. "That'd make sense. You know, mammals and all… Similar enough…"

_That's probably it._ Allen nodded.

"So it _wouldn't_ be a problem, since they'd have-"

Allen and Lenalee each grabbed a bare arm and dragged Lavi towards the door entrance, blushing furiously. While the topic was embarrassing enough, to think about it in the context of Allen's species made it even more awkward, particularly for Allen. He'd been desperately trying to suppress thoughts of his attraction to Lenalee, of a potential marriage to Lenalee… and _this_ was the last thing he needed to think about! If he wasn't careful, unwanted fantasies just might-

The door swung open with a slight tinkle – ah, there was a bell hanging above it, hanging from a string tied to the door. Breathing a real sigh of relief at the distraction, Allen released Lavi's arm simultaneously with Lenalee, and the four teenagers made their way towards the counter.

The first thing Allen noticed was the array of delicious-looking sweets behind a rounded glass pane, covered in fingerprints only visible where the afternoon sunlight glinted off of it. Pastries and cakes, cookies and tarts, all kinds of bakery desserts sat invitingly just a few centimetres away.

The second thing he noticed was the tanned man, pale hair tied in two long braids at the back of his head, looming over the cash register that seemed tiny in comparison. Muscular arms were folded over a large chest, and he peered down at the customers through dark shades. Allen almost wondered if they'd accidentally wandered into the secret base of an organized crime syndicate.

_That must be the… enforcer,_ Allen thought, gulping. This was certainly someone he wouldn't want to run into at night, in a dark alley, alone… He might even take the akuma over this!

The man opened his mouth, and Allen flinched, expecting some sort of threat or failed attempt at a snarky pun.

"_Welcooooooome_!"

Allen's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, yet the man did not appear to notice the merboy's surprise.

"Oh, it's so _wonderful_ to have guests! What handsome boys you are! And the princess with them! Your Majesty, what an honour to be in the presence of you and such _delightful_ companions; it's simply _fabulous_…"

Yes, Allen decided, he would not want to meet this man alone, at night, in a dark alley. Some things made even death seem appealing in comparison.

Needless to say, he didn't drop his guard or even stop constantly looking over his shoulder until long after the four had taken their places in the somewhat shorter line for the ice-cream shop two hours later.

* * *

"Yuu, I don't believe you."

"What don't you believe." Kanda stared blankly out the window, not even bothering to acknowledge Lavi's disbelief with the merest of glances.

"You know."

"I don't know."

_That's not all he doesn't know,_ Allen thought, snorting at the thought. Lenalee gave him a confused glance, but her attention quickly turned back to the conversation unfolding on the other side of the carriage.

"Would you care to be enlightened?"

"I don't care."

"This afternoon. Café."

"What about it."

_Kanda's quite talkative today, isn't he?_ Allen quickly flashed the note to Lenalee, sitting next to him on the cushioned bench. She gave a brief nod after reading, expression unchanged. Wasn't she curious about this strange behaviour?

"Mocha, Yuu. _Mocha_."

"So?"

"On a day like this?" Lavi waved one arm in the air; Allen had to press his back flat against the carriage wall to avoid being hit by the careless gesture. "We go out for cold drinks, and you order a goddamned _mocha_!"

Kanda shrugged nonchalantly.

_It's because he's _weird,_ Lavi. _Allen shot a glare at Kanda out of the corner of his eye. _That explains everything._

Lavi appeared to be pondering Allen's comment for a moment, mouth slightly open. When Kanda twitched, dark eyes sliding surreptitiously over to Lavi as if searching for a reaction, Allen didn't even bother trying to hold back the smirk.

"It was a bit strange," Lenalee muttered, giving a small start when she realised she'd spoken aloud.

"See, Yuu? It's not just a matter of _preference_."

"Che."

"It's inhuman!"

Allen squirmed uncomfortably at the remark. _He's very human,_ the merboy thought stubbornly. _Not inhuman. We're better than that_, he added, glaring at the most definitely human prince again.

"But at least Kanda got ice cream with us later," Lenalee pointed out. "It must have been even more satisfying after…"

_Who would torture themselves to make the reward better?_ Allen asked, his expression implying a sarcastic tone that couldn't quite be translated in words alone. _Besides Kanda, obviously._

"At least I have _self-control_, beansprout."

Allen bristled at the nickname. _What was that, you girly-haired-_

It took the combined strength of Lenalee and Lavi, and the support of the small carriage structure, to keep both boys from killing each other – and potentially cause collateral damage in the narrow enclosure – right then and there.

By the time the carriage pulled up in front of the castle, the red sun had already begun to dip by the horizon. Entranced by the image of the sunset on the distant ocean, Allen stumbled as he exited the carriage and nearly fell flat on his face. Even the relief at avoiding such an embarrassing scene in front of Kanda couldn't pull him away from the scene, however.

"It's really pretty, isn't it?"

Allen jumped and spun around to find Lenalee standing at his shoulder, smiling warmly.

"I've always loved watching the sun rise and set from this position… seeing it over the ocean like that. It makes me really grateful that the castle was built here, even though it's so far away from everything else." Lenalee sighed contentedly, folding her hands behind her back as she viewed the familiar sight.

_Maybe that's why they built it here,_ Allen suggested, tearing his eyes away from the scene to glance at Lenalee's reaction. The dim light of the sunset created a rosy glow to her skin, and made her sparkling violet eyes stand out more than usual. It was an enchanting effect, and Allen had to force himself to pull his gaze away for fear that Lenalee might notice it lingering on her a little _too_ long.

Somehow, though, he suspected that this scene was rarer than the sunset alone, even from this angle. He might be standing here another day, but would Lenalee be by his side?

…Probably, he realised, smiling wryly. Lenalee had been a fairly constant presence throughout the last few days, and if his time on land was to be short, why not spend as much time with his new friends as possible? Besides, he didn't know his way around so well as to not need a constant companion yet. After the incident with the maid, Link had occasionally replaced Lavi as a guide, although it seemed Lenalee preferred to move around the castle in a pack. Rarely did he find himself with only one other person, as he had been that afternoon, much less alone entirely.

For a few minutes, they stood there in silence, basking in the glow of the setting sun and enjoying the beauty of that transient moment. Allen thought he could have waited there forever, or at least until the sun slipped below the horizon entirely, had a loud voice not broken through their mutual trance and shattered it entirely.

"Oi! Lenalee, Allen! You coming?"

Allen gave a weary nod, pouting as Lenalee called back to Lavi to respond in the affirmative. With a sigh, he followed her back to the castle doors, sparing one last glance over his shoulder at the fiery red ball that was slowly disappearing into the night.

_Everything ends,_ he mouthed to himself. _Even my time here, one day._

Right now, however, he had nearly three months to look forward to – starting with the next day. Allen could only hope, as he told Lenalee in the hallway on their way to the bedroom corridors, that they wouldn't have to go through this again tomorrow. (Rather, he groaned about it, but Lenalee didn't seem to be at all bothered by it.)

"Maybe it'll be cooler tomorrow," she suggested, sounding as if she didn't believe her own words at all.

Allen awoke the next morning to the crash of thunder outside his window.

"Good morning," Lenalee greeted him in a mild tone when he emerged from his bedroom, bleary and with Timcanpy nestling in his untidy hair.

_Lovely weather, isn't it,_ Allen commented, eyes flickering to the window after a flash of lightning briefly lit the hallway.

"Indeed," she murmured, inhaling sharply through her teeth. "I guess this means we'll have to explore the castle for today…"

_Did you have something planned?_ Allen inquired as they made their way to the spiralling staircase.

Lenalee cocked her head, thinking, then shook her head. "Nothing in particular. We'll just see what happens today, then."

Allen gave a wide smile. _Sounds good to me. _As long as breakfast came first. He couldn't start off a day – rainy, adventure-filled, or otherwise – without a good morning meal. Preferably with at least five servings of it.

They were just steps away from the dining room door when a new face suddenly appeared from around a corner, scowling. Allen could only stare in surprise as the scruffy-looking man in a rumpled white coat stalked over to Lenalee, ran one hand through his spiky brown hair, and sighed.

"Princess Lenalee, I'm sorry to bother you at this time…"

_He doesn't sound all that sorry,_ Allen noted crossly at the man's exasperated tone. What had Lenalee done to make him sound that way?

"…but have you seen His Majesty…"

Lenalee shook her head wearily. "I'm sorry, Section Chief, but…" She nodded towards Allen. "I haven't seen him all morning."

"Damnit…" The Section Chief, whoever that was, clenched that wandering hand against his forehead into a fist and gritted his teeth. "He's gone again…"

"You just came from the kitchens, then?" Lenalee shrugged weakly. "I can't think of anywhere else he might be that you haven't checked already…"

"I shall continue my search," the man grunted, bobbing his head briefly towards Lenalee. "I appreciate your continued aid on this issue, Princess."

"It's my responsibility too, as his sister," she replied. "Even though he is my _older_ brother…"

The Section Chief gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Allen and thanked Lenalee once more before continuing down the hall in the direction Allen and Lenalee had come from.

Allen immediately turned to Lenalee, momentarily forgetting about their proximity to the dining hall and therefore his breakfast. _Who was that just now?_

"Ah, that was…" Lenalee frowned, her eyes flickering in the direction the man had departed before she turned back to face Allen. "That was Reever, the Section Chief of the palace scientists."

_Scientists? _Allen raised an eyebrow at the word. _Why… _He knew what scientists were, of course, but why were they in the palace? Lenalee had spoken of Reever as if he were a regular inhabitant, and the leader of an organized group; was this another aspect of human culture, having scientists relate to royal duties and palace upkeep somehow? No matter how Allen thought about it, though, it just didn't make sense. What could they possibly do?

"Science is my brother's hobby," Lenalee explained, trotting forward to open the dining-room doors (to Allen's joy). "He's gathered some of the brightest men and women in the world here, and funds their research in a variety of fields."

Allen nodded slowly, consciously trying not to look at the doors to the kitchen as they sat down at the immense table.

"It's really great. I've seen some of the things they're doing right now, and…" Lenalee trailed off, pausing for a moment before snapping her mouth shut and shaking her head. "I can't even describe it. Some of their visions for the future are just so… so amazing."

_I'd like to see them some day,_ Allen mused. _If it's all right, that is. With the scientists._

"They might worry that you'd bring their secrets back home, but…" Lenalee smiled wryly at the thought. "I think we can be sure that isn't going to happen. I doubt many of those things could even be used there…"

_All the more reason to… _Allen's cheeks flushed red and he ducked his head downward, breaking off eye contact. _Since I won't… later…_

"You did mention being interested in human things, didn't you…" Lenalee nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps later today? We can't exactly do anything outside… I'll have to ask first, but…"

Allen's head snapped back upwards. _That'd be… Thank you, Lenalee!_

"Oh!" Lenalee exclaimed, eyes widening with a sudden realisation. "I forgot to add this earlier, but my brother's also involved in some of the work. He actually considers himself to be one of them, even though he's the king. He's something of a boss to the other scientists, guiding them and all that…"

_So is that why Reever-san was looking for him?_ Allen mused.

"Maybe. Brother has assistants, but Reever's the head of the scientists after Brother, and so he's sort of taken all those responsibilities for assigning work and making sure it gets done upon himself. And since Brother has things to do as well…"

_But he's the King,_ Allen pointed out. _Isn't that a lot already?_

"Well, there's that too," the princess explained. "Brother always tends to run away from his duties, whether they're related to ruling the kingdom, science things, or otherwise… and so the Section Chief has sort of… combined everything into one. If my brother slacks off on anything, it's the Section Chief who chases him."

_He can't be getting very much done… Reever-san, I mean. _Allen shrugged. _Isn't it hard for him?_

"We're always telling him to sleep more." Lenalee sighed. "It's true that he really overworks himself for the sake of the kingdom. If only Brother could be more responsible…"

Allen nodded sympathetically. He may not have any siblings who were rulers of their own kingdoms, but they certainly had a long way to go to behave their _age_, much less their social status.

"He works hard, though," she added, her voice warm with affection, "and I know he cares about everyone, about the kingdom, very much. When it comes to the important work, he gets it done…"

_Komui-san sounds like a really great king,_ Allen agreed. _Your country is quite lucky!_

"I know." Lenalee blushed at the compliment to her relative. "I wouldn't want to live anywhere else… Ah, I'm sure your home is very nice, Allen-kun, but-"

_No, no, _Allen interrupted cheerfully, _it's really not that great a place at all. Even I'd prefer to stay here, and I'm just a normal- _He suddenly gave a start and snapped his mouth shut, realising what he was saying. Telling Lenalee he'd rather live here than back home? What was he going to reveal next, that he just happened to have a rather strong crush on her and had thought of kissing her more than once or twice since-

"Thank you."

Lenalee's bright smile quickly ended Allen's continuous and never-ending line of thought. The arrival of breakfast immediately after would have done the same, although it certainly wouldn't have left Allen with the flutter in his strangely warm heart that lasted throughout the five-course meal.

Allen had just put his fork down on a plate cleaned of all but the tiniest of crumbs when a flash of gold at the entrance caught his eye. A curious glance revealed the familiar disdainful face.

_Link?_ Lacking the ability to grab the young man's attention, Allen turned to Lenalee instead. _What's Link doing here?_

Lenalee lifted her head to glance at the guard before meeting Allen's curious gaze and shrugging. "Personal initiative? Are Kanda and Lavi here, too?"

Link stepped aside, revealing Lavi's sullen and Kanda's expressionless faces peering out from behind the door.

"How'd you guess?" Lavi pouted.

_Those two always seem to end up together,_ Allen thought, eyeing his empty plate with a hint of disappointment. Perhaps there was one more orange left in the kitchen…

"You're probably bored, and there isn't much else to do around here," Lenalee pointed out. "Why not follow Link down here?"

"Actually…" Link gave the two heads a disdainful look; Allen wondered if it was because they hadn't yet straightened up and fully revealed themselves. The man would be looking upwards otherwise. "The Secretary wishes to see you. Allen Walker, that is," he explained, nodding towards Allen.

"The Secretary…?" Was it just Allen, or did Lenalee look paler than she had a moment ago?

_Who… _The title sounded awfully familiar, and not just because Lenalee had mentioned Komui's assistants before breakfast. Where had he…

"And of course _Link_ would know," Lavi commented in a suggestive manner, elbowing Link playfully while waggling his eyebrows.

Suddenly, it all came back to Allen. That conversation he'd had with Lavi – _That one?!_

"Secretary Levellier." Link stared at Allen with a stony expression. "Head of the palace servants. He has heard of the palace newcomer and wishes to meet you, in part for what I believe to be… safety reasons."

"Safety?" Lavi raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Allen's no spy, if that's what he's thinking. Not dangerous, either."

"Except to himself," Kanda muttered, smirking slightly as if he'd made a clever insult no one else would have thought of.

_Since last Thursday_, Allen thought, rolling his eyes. _That was horribly lame, stupid Kanda._

"You say something, beansprout?" Kanda sneered.

_Since when can I _speak,_ you-_

"…Does he really have to?"

Four heads swivelled to look at a surprisingly agitated Lenalee.

"Does the Secretary really have to speak to Allen?" she repeated, fidgeting in her chair. "Shouldn't it be up to Allen-kun to meet with – he's no danger, just as Lavi said – I'd really prefer that this be saved for another day, maybe next year-"

_But I won't be here next year,_ Allen reminded Lenalee. It was only after he mouthed the words that he realised the true meaning of her comment. Was Lenalee stalling? But why?

"The Secretary," Link added, "has baked a cake for the occasion."

_That_ got Allen's attention.

"He bakes a cake for _everything_," Lavi groaned, leaning against the doorframe with his hands behind his head. "It's nothing special."

"Che." Kanda looked less than enthusiastic about the cake, too. Allen still couldn't believe how _anyone_ could not like sweet foods, much less actually dislike them. Of course, he also suspected there were many things wrong with Kanda – this was no exception.

_There's cake?_

Allen tore his eyes away from scowling at Kanda to direct an excited look at Lenalee.

"Allen-kun…" She chewed her lower lip nervously. "Yes, Secretary Levellier bakes cake, and I'm sure it's very good, but…"

_It's all right, isn't it, Lenalee? It's for you, too…_

"I'd just rather not go," Lenalee murmured, breaking eye contact and dropping her gaze to her lap. In an intentionally cheerful voice, she added, "He's an intelligent man, though, and I'm sure he means no harm. The cake will probably be delicious, too. You should have a nice time."

Allen's expression turned weary. _I wouldn't go without you, Lenalee. _He didn't go anywhere without her, actually, except to places women couldn't go. Allen wondered if he should think that odd, but somehow – due to his feelings, perhaps, or just the fact that he had fun with her – it seemed quite natural. How would it feel to be with just the others for an afternoon, without Lenalee? _Is something wrong? Lenalee, if you feel so strongly about this Secretary, then I don't think I should go-_

"It's not like that," Lenalee quickly assured Allen. "He may not give the greatest of first impressions, but there's nothing really _wrong_ with him."

_Then why…_ Allen had to grasp his hands in each other to prevent him from unconsciously reaching out to hold Lenalee's comfortingly. _Did something happen?_

Lenalee began to nod, but caught herself. "…It's really nothing," she told him, a little _too_ quickly.

A snigger from the doorway made Allen turn his head, curious.

"If it's what I've heard," Lavi managed to say, "then no wonder Lenalee wouldn't want to tell anyone."

Lenalee's cheeks flushed a delicate pink. Even Kanda looked like his scowl was forcefully holding back a smile.

"See, when Lenalee was six, so I've heard-"

"Lavi," Lenalee said in a warning tone, "if you continue with that story-"

"Anyway, Lenalee had a fight with… her brother, maybe, I only heard the story, right-"

"You are _really_ going to regret this, Lavi-"

"So she was upset and threatened to run away, you know, like any other kid-"

_Lavi_, Allen mouthed, _maybe you'd better stop… _As curious as he was to hear the story, he didn't want anyone to get hurt for this, and he didn't want Lenalee to be humiliated, either. Unable to hear the merboy, however, and with his attention on something else, Lavi continued blithely.

"Except she really did try. She got to the entrance when the Secretary found her-"

Lenalee's mouth snapped shut, her cheeks a brilliant red. Allen felt strangely tempted to run up to Lavi and forcefully stop him from continuing, for Lenalee's sake, yet for some reason he found he couldn't move a muscle.

_Lavi, please…_ he protested feebly, yet the historian didn't seem to notice.

"The servants heard her crying and wailing, so they rushed over-"

"I was _six_!" Lenalee burst out. "He had… he had _no right _to…"

_Lenalee?_ Allen gave her a concerned look. From the tone of her voice, it had been something inappropriate in Lenalee's mind, and the shame and… fear? hate? were so strong even ten years later that she'd do anything to avoid seeing the man. Yet if Lavi and Kanda were _amused_ by it, Lenalee's interpretation must have been entirely subjective. It didn't say anything about the man, did it?

"Ah…" Lavi broke off suddenly, finally noticing Allen's confusion. The faint distress went straight over his head, however. "You listening, Allen? I'm just getting to the good part!"

_Uh… _Allen's eyes remained on Lenalee for a moment before he turned to Lavi, hesitating to give a response.

The movement was evidently enough for Lavi.

"So you know what they found?" Lavi asked, the excitement from earlier rushing back into his voice.

Allen shook his head.

"He was… he was…" The red-haired boy took a deep breath, wide grin threatening to split his face in two. Was he trying not to laugh?! A scowl flickered across Allen's face; it wasn't so funny to _him _just yet. "He had Lenalee across his knee, and…"

"To a _princess_, no less!" Violet eyes filling with tears, Lenalee slammed her palms on the table. "And he would've done it to any of you, too, I bet!"

"And he…" Lavi was almost doubled over now; Lenalee's furious reaction hadn't helped. "He… _spanked_ her!"

Allen's jaw dropped. That was _it?_ Lavi had been in fits of laughter – Kanda had _smiled_ – over _that_?

Although now that he thought about it, the image of a small Lenalee, kicking and screaming wailing while a secretary – Allen didn't know what the man looked like, but his mind somehow managed to fill it in with someone vaguely resembling a sterner Jeryy – smacked her _was_ just a little amusing…

"You…" Lenalee's fury burst like a pricked bubble when she noticed the corners of Allen's mouth twitched upwards. "You really think it's _funny_?" she asked, pouting. "But to do that to a six-year-old…"

"That's still pretty little," Lavi pointed out. "Sure, if anyone did it _now_… actually, that'd be kind of kinky-"

"It was embarrassing," Lenalee murmured, swallowing and refusing to look any higher than the tabletop. "Everyone saw… and now everyone _knows_… It's bad enough that people still remember, but now Allen-kun does, too!"

"Yeah, it must've been nice to have someone who didn't know your deep, dark secret for…" Lavi pretended to count on his fingers, green eye sparkling with satisfied glee. "…oh, four days?"

Kanda had forced the smile off his face again, although judging from how stiff his scowl seemed to be, it was taking all of his conscious effort to do. Link did not appear amused at all, nor as if he were suppressing it, but Allen supposed that it wouldn't be as funny for someone not so close to Lenalee. Link might not even have known Lenalee when she was young – or, unlike Allen, _cared_ about that fact.

"Now that you've got this out of the way," Link said coldly, "may I request that we avoid leaving the Secretary waiting for _too_ much longer?"

_He's actually waiting?_ Allen gave Link a wary glance, the light-hearted mood quickly fading with the guard's words.

"He has work, I'm sure," Lenalee murmured to the merboy. "Unless the Section Chief took it, for some reason…"

"Oh yeah, you coming, Lenalee?" Lavi called. "Allen knows, now."

"It doesn't matter!" Lenalee hissed, blushing again. "Just because Allen-kun has heard the story doesn't mean I'd want to see the Secretary again!"

"But it was ten years ago! Hey, are you sure that's why? Knowing him, that might've been the first thing out of his mouth once he sees you're not there, and now we've ruined the surprise!"

Link rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible to Allen under his breath. It made Lavi scowl briefly, though.

"It's not the _only_ reason-"

"Just _go_, Lenalee."

And with those three words, Kanda somehow managed to shut _everyone_ up. It took a few moments for Lavi's mouth to snap shut, and for the silence to finally be broken by Link.

"If you don't hurry," he said, vaguely threatening, "the cake will cool."

Lavi's jaw dropped again. Everyone else just stared dazedly.

"And it will not be as delicious." Link surveyed the four with a calm stare and promptly turned on one heel, exiting the room.

_Well… _Allen finally managed to write, hand shaking slightly, _we can't let the cake cool…_

Lenalee and Lavi gave brief nods, and Lenalee stood up; Allen followed her. In stunned silence, the four teenagers traipsed out of the room and followed the swishing braid of Link to the Secretary's office.

It was not a short trip. After the fifth winding staircase and the seventh empty hallway, Allen figured that they must have been below the ground. His sense of direction may have been horrible, but the only other time he had been in a darkened hallway had been on his way to the baths. The lights were dim, and although it was midmorning, there were no windows to brighten their path. What kind of a person would want to _live_ down here?

"Are we there yet?" came a whine from ahead of Allen. There was a faint scuffling noise, a soft cry, and the same voice added, "That wasn't nice, Yuu!"

"Shut up," Kanda grumbled.

"We're close," Link told them without turning around. Allen directed a curious glance at Lenalee, who nodded.

"We should be almost there," she whispered to him. "I know it's around here somewhere, although I've never been here myself…"

Allen understood; with that sort of trauma, no wonder she'd avoid the Secretary's office. The story seemed much less funny now, after the fact, and Allen had found himself wondering how he would have felt in the same situation. He'd probably be as embarrassed as Lenalee… and ready to leap up and punch Lavi for telling the story. But then, the situation of the story-telling would have been different, too.

_And it's not like it hasn't happened to me, either, _Allen thought, grimacing as he shoved his hands into his pockets. _The Earl… not that he ever did that, but I wouldn't put it past him. And he's fond of physical punishment, anyway. Cross… _The grimace turned into a sour expression. _If he'd done it… I wouldn't want to see him again, either._

Before the mental video of his interactions with the red-haired man could arise, unbidden, Allen was snapped out of his thoughtful state when Link stopped them in front of a plain, dark, wooden door.

"This is it," he murmured, rapping on the door with his knuckles. "Secretary Levellier, I have brought them."

Allen felt a shiver run down his spine; Link had managed to make it sound as if an unpleasant surprise was awaiting them inside rather than freshly baked cake.

…Although the presence of cake didn't mean something bad couldn't happen…

"Enter," came a muffled bark. Lenalee flinched unconsciously as Link grasped the handle of the door and pushed it open.

The office was dimmer than the hall they had arrived from, and for a moment Allen could see nothing in the murky darkness, not even the silhouettes of the furniture or inhabitant. He took a wary step into the room, hoping not to bump into any of his friends that had disappeared into the shadows while his eyes adjusted.

"Close the door, please," came the voice. Without the door to muffle it, Allen could hear the power and confidence it carried. The man may have been a secretary, but already, he was nothing like Allen had imagined he'd be.

Lenalee suddenly gasped; Allen felt her brush against his arm as she stumbled backwards. When he looked forward again, he was momentarily blinded by a bright light that soon faded to a dim glow. Blinking rapidly, Allen squinted at the source: a dim light on a wooden desk, papers neatly arranged in piles on its surface. The retracting hand belonged to an imposing man with greying hair, moustache unable to disguise a somewhat sharp and angular face. He wore a sly, knowing smile as he surveyed the five teenagers.

_Definitely not what I was expecting,_ Allen thought. _No wonder Lenalee had been so terrified… _The secretary could have had the warmest, most pleasant personality, and yet that face could still scare small children. Not that he expected the personality to _not_ match the appearance; in Allen's experience, they often matched quite perfectly.

"You," he said slowly, his eyes fixating on Allen, "must be the newcomer. Allen, is it?"

Allen nodded once, muscles tensing under that unsettling gaze.

"From the mountains, they say?" His voice was smooth, holding the same strange quality as his gaze. It was almost as if he knew something Allen didn't know, or that he didn't want to reveal.

Allen nodded again, grey eyes flickering to Lenalee and then Lavi. Both appeared stoic from what he could see out of the corners of his eyes.

"Interesting." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, yet the secretary did not remove his eyes from Allen. Finally, he broke the stare, reaching calmly for a white mug sitting beside one of the piles of papers and took a sip. Allen suppressed the urge to fidget nervously. The silence was unsettling, almost as much as having the secretary's eyes on him… or perhaps more, with the deliberate action of looking away.

_He's not…_ Allen almost choked at the disturbing thought that had found its way into his mind. He really hoped it wasn't the case. But then, why _did_ he have the strange feeling that Levellier was peering into his soul? _Don't they say that when someone hits on you? God… _Allen thought he might have been sick right then and there had an unexpected interruption not become his saviour.

"Uh…" The secretary's dark gaze snapped to Lavi, who gave a start as if he wasn't aware he'd even made a sound. The redhead's mouth snapped shut and his eye fell to the floor, but the secretary continued to watch him for another moment before turning back to Allen.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he said smoothly, making no effort to move. "The palace welcomes any and all friends of her Highness, the Princess."

_Thank you,_ Allen mouthed slowly, repeating the message in writing. _It is a pleasure to meet you, too, Secretary_. He briefly wondered if there was anything else he should add for the sake of politeness, but finally stepped forward to lay the pad down on the desk. The Secretary's dark eyes scanned the pad, but he said nothing, and made no effort to return it to Allen. The smile did not disappear throughout the exchange.

"Secretary Levellier…"

Five pairs of eyes fell on Link, who appeared just as stony-faced as ever. Of course, Link obviously knew this man quite well; Allen should not have been surprised at the man's composure. Or was that it…

Hadn't Lavi mentioned something about-

Allen's eyes widened at the memory. This was the secretary Lavi had spoken of, wasn't it?! And so did that mean… The grey gaze flickered between Link and Levellier, a sense of panic growing with every movement. He'd almost forgotten after getting to know Link after that one comment, but now…

His eyes suddenly narrowed as another thought hit him. Had Lavi really been telling the truth? As far as Allen could tell, Link appeared to behave no differently around the secretary. If he was truly… _interested_… wouldn't there be at least some sort of small change in his demeanour? Yet just as he'd noticed before, Link's facial muscles could have been frozen in place permanently; not a single unusual emotion nor any new expression could be seen.

_And he's really gay? I should ask Lavi about that…_

Although, Allen realised, it might just have been too much to expect Link to show _emotions_. Irritation, condescension, and reverence (for desserts, oddly enough) were really the only ones he'd ever seen on the man before. Had he imagined that Link would act like a swooning, emotional teenage girl feeling the bliss of first love?

Allen had to forcefully suppress his snort at that image. Evidently, he'd learned all there was to know about Link's range of expressions by this time. He doubted there would be any further surprises from the guard.

"About what you said earlier…" Link's stern gaze did not budge from Levellier, still sitting calmly at his desk.

"Yes, of course." Levellier's sly smile widened slightly, and he reached below his desk. "How rude of me not to remember."

With one hand, he produced a glass container that looked so heavy Allen wondered how he could support it. Inside the misty glass, Allen thought he saw something that vaguely looked like…

"Hazelnut cake." The secretary whipped off the glass top, revealing a cake iced neatly with chocolate swirls. "Regrettably not _entirely_ chocolate; that is the Princess's favourite, correct?"

Lenalee shivered, noticeable only to those in contact with her, and nodded.

"Then I hope this is similar enough. Come, come," he beckoned, smile never changing as he reached into what must have been a drawer to produce a knife, then small, white dessert plates and gleaming forks. The cutlery looked as if it had never been used before. "I shall serve it for you."

Allen turned to Lenalee first, noting how pale she looked even in the dim glare of the lamp. A shaky smile appeared on her lips and she nodded towards the desk.

"Go ahead," she murmured to him. "I'll be right there."

The merboy shrugged and followed Lavi, Kanda, and Link to the desk, where Levellier was cutting perfectly neat slices and transferring them to the plates without leaving so much as a crumb behind.

"Lenalee?" Lavi glanced back over his shoulder at the princess, who had not moved since speaking to Allen. "You want any?"

_I'll take some for her,_ Allen mouthed quickly, gesturing to the cake. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination that the knowing gleam in Levellier's dark eyes intensified.

"What a kind friend," the man murmured, still staring intently at Allen. With a weak nod, Allen took the two plates and backed away. Link might have been comfortable with this man, and Lavi didn't seem to mind him – Kanda's expression never changed from its sour glare – but despite knowing of a source of her bias, Allen found himself agreeing with Lenalee. This man made him strangely uncomfortable. Why did it feel like Levellier knew a secret that Allen didn't want to be revealed? And what was with that scary-looking moustache?

Allen crept back to his position next to Lenalee and handed her the plate. She muttered a soft thanks, but neither of them made a move to eat, instead watching Lavi stuff his face and Link shoot disgusted looks at the redhead. After a few moments of watching Kanda pick at his cake, sneering, Allen decided to avoid the prince for the sake of his attention span and blood pressure.

"So…" That calm tone holding more than a hint of arrogance brought Allen's attention back to Levellier. "I have hesitated to ask thus far, but…" He waved a gloved hand in the air. "It does tend to be a bit dim in here. I must admit I am curious to know what you four… particularly a newcomer from another country entirely…" That knowing gleam sparkled again; Allen gritted his teeth to suppress a violent shiver. "What you think of my… _collection_."

Lenalee's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Allen's wrist.

"Don't look," she hissed without looking at him.

Allen shot a confused glance at her out of the corner of his eye, but kept his gaze firmly fixated on Levellier. _Unfortunately, it's a little too dark…_

"Oh, is that so?" The man did not appear surprised at all. "Then perhaps I should-"

"What're you talking about, Allen? It's… _whoa_." Lavi's sudden cut-off momentarily made Allen forget about what Lenalee had told him, and he turned to his friend. His grey eyes were halfway to the shadowed walls before he could jerk them away, fixing his gaze determinedly on the desk.

"Che…" Had he not been focusing all his resolve on not satisfying his curiosity, Allen would certainly have chosen to look at Kanda's face right then. The normally bored-looking prince actually sounded slightly off-guard… disturbed, perhaps? What could shake Kanda like that?

"Impressive, you say? Go on, Allen," Levellier prompted, "it's all right for you to look."

"Secretary Levellier…" Even Link sounded a bit shaken. Allen was puzzled by that; wouldn't he have grown used to whatever it was by this time? Or was something else bothering him? This curiosity was infuriating! "Perhaps it would be best… He's still quite young…"

"Really?" The smile widened. "He seems like quite a responsible young lad to me."

"Allen-kun," Lenalee whispered, fear and concern filling in her voice, "you really don't want to…"

He nodded. _I trust you, Lenalee._

_But I also want to know what he's hiding… What could disturb even Kanda? And why would Lenalee not want me to see? I don't think it's about age… Lenalee wouldn't do that._

_Even if it's the most horrible thing ever – the corpses of my family, or… or torture tools used on kittens – if I don't find out, this will torment me forever. And I don't intend to come back here again to see this._

To Lenalee, he added, _I'm sorry._

"Allen-kun-" she hissed, loud enough for Lavi to half-turn his head with a questioning sound, but Allen had already set his plate down on the ground, taken a deep breath and followed Lavi's eyes to the walls.

His grey eyes met with something similar in colour, and of a sickeningly familiar shape, hanging from a wooden plaque set on the wall. For a brief moment, he couldn't tear his eyes away, and they followed the shape until it split in two near the bottom and continued to either side…

_Oh god, it isn't… it can't be…_

Perhaps his initial guess hadn't been so wild after all…

_Th…that's a… dolphin…_ he managed to stammer, feeling a sinking feeling in his stomach. The tail hadn't been the only thing in his field of vision. _…Right?_

"Not exactly. But I think you're already aware of that… Allen?"

Allen didn't even have to look at Levellier to know he was still smiling. _That sick bastard…_

"Allen-kun…" Lenalee was murmuring to herself now; Allen could see movement out of the corner of his eye. Was she wringing her hands? "Allen-kun, no… I'm sorry…"

"Damn," Lavi breathed, staggering backwards, "is that really… are those…"

"Real? Yes, very much so." Levellier adopted a pleased expression. Allen was frozen in place, eyes locked on the tail without really seeing it, but at the moment he wished he had the strength to overcome his daze and punch the man as hard as he could. How could he be _pleased_ about something like this? For that matter, how could he not feel anything but shock and disgusted horror at the scene itself?

"But I thought…" Lavi shook his head, stunned into muteness. "It can't be…"

"Ah, but they do exist," Levellier said softly, "mermaids do."

_They did,_ Allen thought, finally managing to clench his hands into tight fists, _until you…_

"N-No way…" Lavi gave a nervous laugh. "But they're just the things of stories, right? I-I mean… there's no way something that's half-human and half-fish… could really be out there…"

"Of course not." When Lavi opened his mouth again, Levellier held up one hand. "They're part dolphin. Mammals, you know."

"Ah, yeah… Still…" The historian's breaths sounded almost ragged. Allen felt faintly pleased at knowing everyone else in the room, at least, seemed to share his views to the extent that they could with their limited knowledge. Even Link seemed to be avoiding the walls. "Mermaids don't really… Like… that's just a dolphin tail, right? Dead human? Sewn together?" He gave another nervous chuckle, sounding even less sure of himself. "And if they're mammals, how do they breathe? They'd have to come up for air sometime; we'd _know-_"

"Ah, well, you see, they're a little different in that regard." Levellier sounded completely unperturbed by Lavi's disbelief. "They have gills, of course. And lungs. It's hardly a perfect system, but it serves them well enough, would you say?"

Allen desperately prayed his own weren't flaring as much as he feared they were. If anyone caught a glimpse of that redness-

"Gills… T-That'd look kind of weird, huh?" Even the weak attempts at laughter were no more. "That's pretty preposterous… isn't it, Yuu? Allen?"

"Che… Stupid." The edge of arrogance in Kanda's tone was conspicuously absent. Allen simply nodded numbly, too full of rage, disgust, and a deep depression to do anything but make numb observations. It didn't take half the effort that moving did.

"But aren't they people too?"

Levellier calmly looked over at Lenalee, trembling from some unknown emotion. Allen briefly wondered if she had gained the courage to meet his eyes or if she could only stare at the floor, unable or unwilling to reveal that weakness.

"These mermaids," she continued, "they're part human, aren't they? They have human brains, right? Feelings? Personalities?"

_Lenalee… _Despite the negativity in his heart, Allen could feel a small burst of warmth at Lenalee's words. _Thank you… for saying what I can't at the moment… _

It wasn't just that, though. He knew very well about how she saw him, even through the species divide, but somehow, hearing it still made him feel all that much happier. She couldn't yet break through the icy fury that stirred up horrible feelings in the pit of his stomach, but it made a difference nonetheless.

"You're killing _people_!" she finally exclaimed.

"Am I?"

Those two words, said with such perfect calm and unquestioned confidence, nearly extinguished that warmth entirely.

"You…" This time, however, Levellier interrupted in that same cool tone.

"Perhaps they may have some of the same faculties. However, Princess, you must remember that as human as they may seem, they are a completely different species. Animals, you might say."

"We're animals too," Lavi pointed out stubbornly.

"But _evolved_." The Secretary's voice took on simultaneous tones of awe and condescension, as if speaking to a small child about a fascinating, perhaps otherworldly, power. "We humans are the pinnacle of macroevolution, capable of incredible feats of knowledge and power, and with unexplored capacities that have yet to be discovered."

"And mermaids aren't?" Lenalee said bitterly.

"No, Princess," he told her patronisingly, "you can see for yourself, can't you? They are a lower creature than we are."

"But they can-"

"Can they walk on two legs? Have they created the technologies and civilizations that we have? Have they conquered nature and become its protector?" Levellier shook his head. "Above other animals, perhaps, but nevertheless…"

_No wonder._ The words echoed in Allen's head; his own thoughts, Levellier's words, and those of the Earl all tumbled around and mixed as if to become a single echoing thought. _No wonder we're not allowed to see the surface. No wonder we're supposed to hate humans. No wonder we're told humans are bad._

_They _are_._

_Humans are DANGEROUS lero! They KILL merpeople lero!_

_They do, and I had to see it first… oh god…_

_If one has been properly raised, one would have the instinct to enjoy a human's beautiful death._

_I'd give anything to be able to kill a certain one right now…_

_Animals, you might say._

_He's not even killing _people; _to him, we're just… we're just…_

"Allen-kun…"

The soft, worried tone of Lenalee's voice jolted Allen out of his hateful daze, and in his surprise, he tore his eyes away from the tail as he whirled around to face her. Almost immediately, from both the sight of Lenalee's face and the disappearance of such an emotional object from his field of vision, the rage faded, leaving a swelling emptiness behind in his heart.

"Allen-kun," she repeated, looking as if she wanted to say more, but wasn't sure of what would be right. Her expression flickered from questioning and concerned, to sympathetic and caring.

_I… I'm sorry, Lenalee_. He dropped his gaze to the stone floor, unable to continue looking at her. Right now, the sight of Lenalee's face had added a multitude of other emotions – shame, love, determination, rebellion – that would overwhelm him if combined with the hurt he still felt from Levellier's words and wall coverings.

Across the room, the secretary sighed. "Perhaps you were right, Link. It seems to have been a bit too much for our visitor to handle."

Allen raised his eyes to Levellier, the renewed spark of anger quickly extinguished by a sudden, horrifying thought when he realised that knowing gaze was on him yet again. Could it be that… could Levellier _know_? All this time, the suspicious behaviour – encouraging him to look at the walls – that feeling that Levellier knew something about him – was it this?

A shiver ran down Allen's spine, eyes wide as his breaths grew shorter. Only Lenalee had known of his secret, unless Levellier had seen him before, perhaps when he had saved Lenalee, or… or had he, with his knowledge of mermaid biology, seen Allen for what he was the moment he walked through the door? Had he heard rumours about Allen's muteness, about how it pained him to walk? It couldn't be; Cross had said those were side-effects of his potion, and not all of them known even to the maker. His gills? Had Lavi spoken about the mysterious cuts on Allen's neck? Or had the secretary just put two and two together upon hearing about Allen's mysterious appearance, washed up on a beach one morning? No family, and no known shipwrecks… it had been a little suspicious, hadn't it?

And if Levellier knew, what did that mean for Allen? To have been found out by a man who had killed mermaids, and possibly with his own hands; to have been discovered by a man who considered them to be little better than animals… His _life_ was in danger! Even his corpse wouldn't retain a shred of dignity if it became a dissection specimen, or worse, displayed on a wall for everyone to see and marvel at.

He'd left the ocean to avoid a potential threat to his life, and now, in the course of two days, he'd stumbled into two more…

_Excuse me,_ Allen managed to form, _I must excuse myself. _He tried to ignore how the sly smile widened, and the feelings that made his stomach churn at the sight.

"Very well." Levellier gave a faint shrug. "A pity you must leave so soon, Allen… It was a pleasure to meet you."

_Likewise,_ Allen responded, throat tight, before he turned and abruptly strode out of the room. Even when the door shut behind him, he could feel that dark gaze on his back, peering beyond his humanoid appearance as the man smirked at the mermaid below.

He strode down the hall at a fast pace, not knowing where he was or where he was going as long as he was as far away as possible from the secretary and his office. More than once, Allen found himself at a dead end, or in a hallway he was sure he'd never seen before, yet his feet never stopped moving, and the determined, eerily calm expression on his face never wavered. Not a single person crossed his path, yet Allen would not have noticed anyway, just as he did not hear the hum of the heater for the baths nor the soft sound of footsteps on carpet or stone. The only thing on his mind was that he _had to keep walking_. He couldn't stop, not until he grew weary and could not take another step, and only then as long as he could feel safe.

Hours might have passed when he finally pulled open a pair of carved wooden doors that had caught his eye. The moment Allen stepped inside, he stumbled, only his hand on the doorframe keeping him upright. Grey eyes scanned the expansive interior, wandering over the shelves that covered every vertical surface he could see.

It was a library, different from the one he'd spent hours in less than a week ago, and yet strangely familiar, as if all libraries shared a similar comfortable atmosphere. Here, Allen realised, he could relax.

With all his strength, Allen trudged over to the nearest seat: a pale blue couch nestled in an alcove between three bookshelves. He collapsed onto it with a sigh, exhausted both from the physical strain of his speed-walking, and the emotional toll taken by his stress at recent events. Distanced from the office by time and location, the anger had subsided, and even the emptiness had become replaced by a powerful pain that tightened his chest and made tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He hadn't felt such a strong sadness in years, Allen realised, not since Mana's death. His abuse at the hands of the Earl, that stinging humiliation, didn't even come close to this.

So he pulled his knees up to his chest and cried, sobs echoing among the bookshelves of the empty library. His gloved hands dug into his legs, arms tightening around them, and his tears soaked the thick material of his pants; his nose ran, and his cheeks flushed red, but Allen could focus on nothing but the fear and deep, deep sorrow at what he'd just seen and experienced.

People, _his_ people, had been coldly murdered by someone who didn't even see the worth in their lives. It was them for whom he cried, just as much as for himself, if not more. Those were lives that had been brutally snatched away before their time, and he could have been one of them. He _still_ could become one of them.

He was alone, the only one of his kind, in an unfamiliar and dangerous world where he could be hunted like an animal just as those other mermaids had been.

And he wasn't at all sure how to protect himself.

Some time later, Allen became aware of the presence of another in the room with him, close to him. Raising his reddened eyes, he peered blearily through the remnants of tears at the other, a warm presence on the couch next to him.

_Lenalee…_ He turned away again, throat tightening with embarrassment. How long had she been there? For all the attention he'd been paying to the world, she could have followed him here and been here all along-

"Not long," Lenalee answered in a soft, clipped tone. Allen could hear the lie, but said nothing; she was aware of it, too.

_You saw…_

She made a soft sound in the back of her throat and nodded.

_I see…_

"I'm sorry if you wanted to be alone," she murmured, eyes dropping to the ground even as she shifted a little closer to him, their shoulders touching.

Allen shook his head. _It's all right. _Right now, numb from the crying, he appreciated the warmth of her presence more than anything else. Like the library, it provided a sort of familiar comfort, an atmosphere in which he could relax and feel safe, and not think of anything at all.

Lenalee made that sound again and moved even closer, resting her head on his shoulder. At any other time, Allen might have reacted with a blush, or his heart might have begun to beat faster; now, he only returned the gesture, enjoying the feeling of her hair under his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Allen-kun," Lenalee said again. "That you had to see… that."

He shook his head slightly, fibres of hair moving beneath his skin.

"I should have…" She broke off, shaking her head as best as she could under the weight of his own. "I'm sorry."

Allen suddenly felt movement in her arm, and before he knew it, he could feel warmth radiating through his glove. He turned his hand over, careful not to disturb Lenalee too much, and took her hand in his; her fingers ran through his and locked them together as he did so. Like her presence, the warmth was comforting.

_I was wrong_, he breathed, to no one in particular. Lenalee certainly couldn't see him speak. _Humans aren't all bad._

Lenalee's hand tightened around his. He briefly wondered if she had felt it, after all. Or perhaps she'd read his mind this time. The thought didn't bother him.

"We're human," Lenalee finally said softly.

And Allen understood. Humans and merpeople, no matter what Levellier might have said, were all _people_. They were imperfect creatures, mostly striving to be good and failing, but rarely giving up. There would always be bad seeds, just as there would be shining examples of goodness, but nothing was, on the whole, black or white. Not him, not Lavi, or Kanda, or Road, not even Lenalee.

He'd been a fool to think so highly of humans once. He'd done so from a lack of experience with them, and too much of it with the darker shades of the merfolk. Yet the other extreme view was equally wrong. Would anyone classify mermaids as purely good or evil? Even Levellier hadn't done that.

Lenalee was definitely a paler shade of grey, though. Perhaps it was only this way to him, but even so, Allen felt justified in believing this. So he returned the gesture, fingers tightening around hers, and let his thoughts and worries momentarily dissipate as he relaxed in the calm mood.

Allen didn't know how much time had passed before the sound of passing footsteps, probably from a librarian or curious castle inhabitant, finally caused them to stir. With more than a hint of regret, Allen lifted his head and faced Lenalee; she yawned once before giving him a warm smile. Together, they stood, hands still interlocked.

"I was thinking," Lenalee began as they made their way through the towering bookshelves towards the other side of the library. "Allen-kun, you mentioned an interest in human-made objects…"

The merboy nodded blankly.

"Well…" Lenalee gave a soft laugh, still looking straight forward. "If there's anything you'd like to see, or have… Just tell me, all right, Allen-kun? We have so many things in the palace, and I'm sure we could find anything that isn't immediately on hand… Is there anything in particular?"

Allen opened his mouth to refuse, but a sudden thought popped into his mind. He didn't want to take advantage of Lenalee's generosity, but this might be his only opportunity to find one, and as long as it wasn't _too_ difficult to find… Perhaps there was even one in the palace!

_Actually, there is something… _He scratched the back of his head sheepishly with his free hand.

Lenalee's eyes widened excitedly. "There is? What is it?"

_Something I once found on the ocean floor, in a shipwreck. If it's too hard to find, _he added, _then it's all right; I had one once, and so-_

"You had one once?" Lenalee frowned. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened… to it?"

_Destroyed. _Allen shook his head. _It's a long story. But it's not like I need to-_

"It's all right, Allen-kun!" She squeezed his hand lightly. "Don't worry. Just tell me."

…_A piano. You know, the musical-_ He broke off at the sound of Lenalee's musical laughter.

"I know what it is!" Her amused smile – from his explanation, he knew, not the request itself – softened slightly. "A piano, then? I'm quite sure we have one in a music room somewhere, or perhaps two… It shouldn't be difficult to find at all," she reassured him. "I'll keep an eye open, and I'll ask the others, and the servants, to do the same."

_No, no, there's no need to go that far!_ Allen protested, but Lenalee was unaffected.

"It's no trouble at all," she explained, beaming brightly at him. "If everyone just remembers to tell you, or me, when they see a piano here… I'd be happy to start a search, you know!"

_It's all right,_ Allen responded feebly. He'd discovered Lenalee's stubborn side the day he'd arrived at the palace, and the last thing he wanted was an argument with her over this. Besides, if he was able to see a piano again, and play it, even this lost battle would be more than made up for. _Thank you, Lenalee._

_I think that as long as I'm with you, it'll all be okay._

And so the months passed, the season changing to summer. Through all kinds of weather, moods, and unpredictable adventures, things were indeed okay. That is, until one day in July, as the three-month mark of Allen's presence on land approached…

* * *

Authour's Notes: …It's been a while! I'm not dead, of course. Anyone reading my constant profile page updates would know. Wink wink, nudge nudge, subtle prod, etc.

The more astute readers may have noticed that this is _not_, in fact, the last chapter. I decided about a third of the way through the original chapter 4, now chapter 5, that I needed some more plot filler for character and world development. Hence this chapter and the relative lack of plot. Still, it actually changed some things I'd been planning for the better. So the next chapter will be the last, and then I'm considering an epilogue… so, uh… don't freak out in good or bad ways? Er. Moving on.

About this chapter… From the beginning! Actually, I don't have very much to say except about the third scene and Levellier. Levellier's spanking thing was meant to be reminiscent of any relative/adult who punishes kids as if they're the parent, and it's _so_ annoying. Don't know if that's ever happened to any of you, and I hope not. At any rate, that's what I was trying to convey, and I hope I did that, but just in case it didn't come across… And no, he's not gay or anything, just majorly creepy. I don't want any misunderstandings here.

That scene was also originally supposed to be _funny_. Obviously, that all changed, but I kind of like how it turned out. Possibly one of my favourites after the Cross scene in chapter 2. I hope the rest was funny enough; chapter 5 will be rather serious and plot-heavy, and I know some authours have been unhappy with a lack of comedy lately, so I really worried about this.

Anyway, as always, please review with your criticism. Any spelling mistakes or errors I might've skipped over (I tried to proofread this, but… fifty-five pages in tiny font/almost twenty-seven thousand words; I wanted this out tonight!), any scenes you didn't like, or problems with my style, or out-of-character things (especially that!), or just anything you're unclear about or didn't like – please tell me! I love reading that sort of thing and I like replying to it, too. Of course, praise is also accepted… :3 Really, reviews are very inspiring. It's not like I, or other authours, write for them… but they do help, and they make us feel good, too. I love knowing that I've written a story that people are enjoying!

Hopefully, you won't have to wait nearly as long for chapter 5, much less any other update. And if you got this far, thank you for reading my long notes! And the fic, of course!

(Yes, that was a Victorian Starbucks.)


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